Stephen Richards (judge)
Encyclopedia
Sir Stephen Price Richards (born 8 December 1950) is a Lord Justice of Appeal
.
on 8 December 1950.
He was educated at King's College School
and St John's College, Oxford
(BA
, MA
).
Having been called to the Bar at Gray's Inn
in 1975, Richards was Second Junior Counsel to the Director General of Fair Trading
1987-89 and Standing Counsel 1989-91. He was Junior Counsel to the Crown 1990-91 and First Junior Treasury Counsel 1992-97 (elected as a Bencher of Gray's Inn
on taking up the latter appointment). The First Junior Treasury Counsel is known colloquially as the "Treasury Devil" and represents Her Majesty's Government in the civil courts. Traditionally the First Junior Treasury Counsel is not appointed Queen's Counsel
but it is nonetheless one of the most prestigious of legal appointments and almost inevitably leads to appointment as a High Court Judge
. In 1997 Richards was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Justice (Queen's Bench Division), having been appointed a Recorder
of the Crown Court
the previous year. He was automatically appointed Knight Bachelor
. From 2000 until 2003 he served as Presiding Judge for Wales.
On 4 November 2005 HM The Queen
approved his appointment as a Lord Justice of Appeal
and a member of the Privy Council. Since becoming a Lord Justice of Appeal
he has heard several high-profile appeals, including those on behalf of the late Jean Charles de Menezes
and by Mr and Mrs Ian Gay.
On July 2005 Jean Charles de Menezes
, an innocent man, was shot 7 times in the head and once in the shoulder on the London Underground by police officers.
On July 2006 the Crown Prosecution Service
decided that there was not enough evidence to bring a charge of Murder or Manslaughter.
On the January 19 2007 Lord Justice Richards gave a verdict that the Metropolitan Police Commissioner should be prosecuted under health and safety laws.
Lord Justice Richards and Mr Justice Forbes declared that the previous ruling by the High Court denying the right to appeal had raised "points of law of general public importance". However, to date the House of Lords
has not considered an appeal.
newspaper reported that Lord Justice Richards had been arrested by British Transport Police
for allegedly exposing himself to a woman on a train in October 2006. He was quoted as saying "I spoke to police and gave them my full co-operation about an incident last October which I deny. I have not been charged and have been bailed in the usual manner."
On Friday, 2 March 2007 it was reported that Sir Stephen Richards had been charged with two counts of exposure.
On Monday and Tuesday, June 11 and 12, 2007, Richards stood trial at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court
on charges of having intentionally exposed his penis to the same woman on 16 and 24 October 2006, whilst travelling on trains in South West London.
Richards denied both charges, claiming that it was a case of mistaken identity. He explained to the court that he travelled on the same train every day, and always in the second carriage because of severe overcrowding in the first carriage, where the alleged incident took place. Even then, he rarely got a seat. He said that as he was well-known to many people on that train, this would have made the alleged conduct even riskier. He and his wife Lucy explained to the court that their marriage was stable and loving, and Richards said that he could not conceive of deriving any gratification from the alleged conduct.
Richards produced a pair of black briefs of the type that he claimed that he always wore. He explained to the court that, wearing this particular type of underwear, it would have been impossible for him to perform the indecent exposure without using both hands.
The court accepted his explanation and acquitted him, whilst also saying that the woman accuser - who had picked Richards out at an identity parade, after his picture had appeared in the press - had been honest in her evidence. After the acquittal, Richards expressed his gratitude to his legal team, his family and the many friends and colleagues who had supported him throughout the six months between the allegations and the trial. He said he looked forward to resuming his full judicial duties.
The trial was held under somewhat unusual circumstances at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court by the Chief Magistrate of England and Wales, Timothy Workman
, sitting with two lay magistrates. Peter Wright, QC prosecuted and David Fisher, QC defended.
It was reported that, in 2010, Richards was arrested again for indecent exposure on a Waterloo train. Despite CCTV evidence and that the victim is a foreign national, who was unaware of the 2007 case, the CPS dropped the case as there was a low chance of securing a conviction.
Lord Justice of Appeal
A Lord Justice of Appeal is an ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, and represents the second highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales-Appointment:...
.
Biography
Stephen Price Richards was born in WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
on 8 December 1950.
He was educated at King's College School
King's College School
King's College School, commonly referred to as KCS, King's, or KCS Wimbledon, is an independent school for day pupils in Wimbledon in south-west London. The school was founded as the junior department of King's College London and occupied part of its premises in Strand, before relocating to...
and St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
(BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, MA
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
).
Having been called to the Bar at Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1975, Richards was Second Junior Counsel to the Director General of Fair Trading
Office of Fair Trading
The Office of Fair Trading is a not-for-profit and non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UK's economic regulator...
1987-89 and Standing Counsel 1989-91. He was Junior Counsel to the Crown 1990-91 and First Junior Treasury Counsel 1992-97 (elected as a Bencher of Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
on taking up the latter appointment). The First Junior Treasury Counsel is known colloquially as the "Treasury Devil" and represents Her Majesty's Government in the civil courts. Traditionally the First Junior Treasury Counsel is not appointed Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
but it is nonetheless one of the most prestigious of legal appointments and almost inevitably leads to appointment as a High Court Judge
High Court judge
A High Court judge is a judge of the High Court of Justice, and represents the third highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales. High Court judges are referred to as puisne judges...
. In 1997 Richards was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Justice (Queen's Bench Division), having been appointed a Recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
of the Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
the previous year. He was automatically appointed Knight Bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
. From 2000 until 2003 he served as Presiding Judge for Wales.
On 4 November 2005 HM The Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
approved his appointment as a Lord Justice of Appeal
Lord Justice of Appeal
A Lord Justice of Appeal is an ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, and represents the second highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales-Appointment:...
and a member of the Privy Council. Since becoming a Lord Justice of Appeal
Lord Justice of Appeal
A Lord Justice of Appeal is an ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, and represents the second highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales-Appointment:...
he has heard several high-profile appeals, including those on behalf of the late Jean Charles de Menezes
Jean Charles de Menezes
Jean Charles de Menezes was a Brazilian man shot in the head seven times at Stockwell tube station on the London Underground by the London Metropolitan police, after he was misidentified as one of the fugitives involved in the previous day's failed bombing attempts...
and by Mr and Mrs Ian Gay.
Judge in a Jean Charles de Menezes linked case
On July 2005 Jean Charles de Menezes
Jean Charles de Menezes
Jean Charles de Menezes was a Brazilian man shot in the head seven times at Stockwell tube station on the London Underground by the London Metropolitan police, after he was misidentified as one of the fugitives involved in the previous day's failed bombing attempts...
, an innocent man, was shot 7 times in the head and once in the shoulder on the London Underground by police officers.
On July 2006 the Crown Prosecution Service
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
decided that there was not enough evidence to bring a charge of Murder or Manslaughter.
On the January 19 2007 Lord Justice Richards gave a verdict that the Metropolitan Police Commissioner should be prosecuted under health and safety laws.
Lord Justice Richards and Mr Justice Forbes declared that the previous ruling by the High Court denying the right to appeal had raised "points of law of general public importance". However, to date the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
has not considered an appeal.
Trial for indecent exposure
On Sunday 21 January 2007, the News of the WorldNews of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
newspaper reported that Lord Justice Richards had been arrested by British Transport Police
British Transport Police
The British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services...
for allegedly exposing himself to a woman on a train in October 2006. He was quoted as saying "I spoke to police and gave them my full co-operation about an incident last October which I deny. I have not been charged and have been bailed in the usual manner."
On Friday, 2 March 2007 it was reported that Sir Stephen Richards had been charged with two counts of exposure.
On Monday and Tuesday, June 11 and 12, 2007, Richards stood trial at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court
City of Westminster Magistrates' Court
The City of Westminster Magistrates' Court was a magistrates' court located at 70 Horseferry Road, in the City of Westminster, London. It was originally called Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court, after Horseferry Road where it was sited,. However, it was renamed in July 2006 following the closure...
on charges of having intentionally exposed his penis to the same woman on 16 and 24 October 2006, whilst travelling on trains in South West London.
Richards denied both charges, claiming that it was a case of mistaken identity. He explained to the court that he travelled on the same train every day, and always in the second carriage because of severe overcrowding in the first carriage, where the alleged incident took place. Even then, he rarely got a seat. He said that as he was well-known to many people on that train, this would have made the alleged conduct even riskier. He and his wife Lucy explained to the court that their marriage was stable and loving, and Richards said that he could not conceive of deriving any gratification from the alleged conduct.
Richards produced a pair of black briefs of the type that he claimed that he always wore. He explained to the court that, wearing this particular type of underwear, it would have been impossible for him to perform the indecent exposure without using both hands.
The court accepted his explanation and acquitted him, whilst also saying that the woman accuser - who had picked Richards out at an identity parade, after his picture had appeared in the press - had been honest in her evidence. After the acquittal, Richards expressed his gratitude to his legal team, his family and the many friends and colleagues who had supported him throughout the six months between the allegations and the trial. He said he looked forward to resuming his full judicial duties.
The trial was held under somewhat unusual circumstances at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court by the Chief Magistrate of England and Wales, Timothy Workman
Timothy Workman
Senior District Judge Timothy Workman CBE is a leading British judge, a long-term stipendiary magistrate who serves as Senior District Judge and Chief Magistrate for London....
, sitting with two lay magistrates. Peter Wright, QC prosecuted and David Fisher, QC defended.
It was reported that, in 2010, Richards was arrested again for indecent exposure on a Waterloo train. Despite CCTV evidence and that the victim is a foreign national, who was unaware of the 2007 case, the CPS dropped the case as there was a low chance of securing a conviction.
Style and title
- 1997-2005: The Hon Sir Stephen Richards, The Hon Mr Justice Richards
- 2005-: The Rt Hon Sir Stephen Richards, The Rt Hon Lord Justice Richards
Sources and further information
- 10 Downing Street's website - accessed Nov 2006
- Her Majesty's Courts Service website - accessed Nov 2006
- Judge cleared of rush-hour flashing
- Woman 'shocked by flashing judge', BBC News
- Profile: Lord Justice Richards, BBC News
- Frances Gibb, 'Judge and magistrates will hear flashing case', The Times 9 June 2007
- Debrett's People of Today (12th edn, London, 1999), p. 1648