Stephen Richards (judge)

Sir Stephen Price Richards (born 8 December 1950) is a Lord Justice of Appeal.

Biography

Stephen Price Richards was born in Wales 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.

Judge in a Jean Charles de Menezes linked case

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". [cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6279957.stm
publisher = BBC|date= 2007-01-19
title = Lords could hear Menezes appeal
accessdaymonth = 11 November|accessyear = 2007] However, to date the House of Lords has not considered an appeal.

Trial for indecent exposure

On Sunday 21 January 2007, the "News of the World" 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." [cite news
title = Top Judge Nicked for Flashing
publisher = News Group Newspapers Ltd
date = 2007-01-21
pages = 11]

On Friday, 2 March 2007 it was reported that Sir Stephen Richards had been charged with two counts of exposure. [cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6413703.stm|title = Top judge charged with exposure|publisher = BBC|date= 2007-03-02]

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.

tyle 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

References

ources and further information

* [http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page8469.asp 10 Downing Street's website - accessed Nov 2006]
* [http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/1287.htm Her Majesty's Courts Service website - accessed Nov 2006]
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1926574.ece Judge cleared of rush-hour flashing]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6740381.stm Woman 'shocked by flashing judge', BBC News]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6740593.stm Profile: Lord Justice Richards, BBC News]
* [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article1907057.ece 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