Judges behaving badly

Some 32 judicial office-holders were removed from office last year compared to just 17 in 2013-14, according to the Judicial Conduct investigations Office (JCIO) annual report. Of these, 19 were magistrates, eight were tribunal judges and five were judges. Their misdemeanours were not fulfilling their judicial duties, inappropriate behaviour, civil proceedings or criminal convictions, professional conduct, misuse of judicial status and miscellaneous. Overall, 2,432 complaints were made to the JCIO, but more than half (1,570) related to judicial decisions or case management and therefore could not be considered.