Ministry of Justice - Judicial Appointments: Senior Circuit Judge Appointments – McKinnon, Mitchell, Hughes QC, Simpkiss, Haas QC, Hamilton, Hindley QC and Hunt

The Lord Chancellor, the Right Honourable Jack Straw MP, has appointed the following Circuit Judges to be Senior Circuit Judges with effect from Monday 4 January 2010:

His Honour Judge Warwick McKinnon, Resident Judge for Croydon;
His Honour Judge David Mitchell, Designated Civil Judge for London;
His Honour Judge Iain Hughes QC, Designated Civil Judge for Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Wiltshire;
His Honour Judge Jonathan Simpkiss, Designated Civil Judge for Kent and Sussex;
Her Honour Judge Margaret de Haas QC, Designated Family Judge for Liverpool;
His Honour Judge Iain Hamilton. Designated Family Judge for Manchester;
Her Honour Judge Estella Hindley QC, Designated Family Judge for Birmingham;
His Honour Judge Peter Hunt, Designated Family Judge for Leeds.

Notes to Editors

His Honour Judge Warwick Nairn McKinnon is 62. He was called to the Bar (L) in 1970. He was appointed as an Assistant Recorder in 1991, as a Recorder in 1995 and became a Circuit Judge in 1998. He was appointed as Resident Judge for Croydon in 2006.

His Honour Judge David Charles Mitchell is 59. He was called to the Bar (I) in 1972. He was appointed as an Assistant Recorder in 1989, as a Recorder in 1993 and became a Circuit Judge in 2001. He was appointed as Designated Civil Judge for Kent in 2003 and then as Designated Civil Judge for London in 2007.

His Honour Judge Iain Hamilton-Douglas Hughes QC is 59. He was called to the Bar (I) in 1974 and took Silk in 1996. He was appointed as an Assistant Recorder in 1997, as a Recorder in 2000 and became a Circuit Judge in 2002. He was appointed as Designated Civil Judge for Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight & Wiltshire in 2003.

His Honour Judge Richard Jonathan Simpkiss is 58. He was called to the Bar (L) in 1975. He was appointed as an Assistant Recorder in 1999, as a Recorder in 2000 and became a Circuit Judge in 2004. He was appointed as Designated Civil Judge for Kent and Sussex in 2005.

Her Honour Judge Margaret Ruth de Haas QC is 55. She was called to the Bar (M) in 1977 and took Silk in 1998. She was appointed as an Assistant Recorder in 1995, as a Recorder in 1999, as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2000, became a Circuit Judge in 2004 and has also served on the Mental Health Restricted Patients Panel since 2004. She was appointed as Designated Family Judge for Liverpool in 2005.

His Honour Judge Iain McCormick Hamilton is 61. He was admitted as a Solicitor in 1974. He was appointed as an Assistant Recorder in 1992, as a Recorder in 1996 and became a Circuit Judge in 2000. He was appointed as Designated Family Judge for Manchester in 2005.

Her Honour Judge Estella Jacqueline Hindley QC is 61. She was called to the Bar (G) in 1971 and took Silk in 1992. She was appointed as a Recorder in 1989 and became a Circuit Judge in 1997. She was appointed as Designated Family Judge for Birmingham in 2008.

His Honour Judge David Peter Hunt is 58. He was called to the Bar (G) in 1974. He was appointed as a Recorder in 1993 and became a Circuit Judge in 1997. He was appointed as Designated Family Judge for Leeds in 2000.

Ref: JHR166/09

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