President creates buzz

Beekeeper and keen rugby enthusiast District Judge Harold Godwin, 60, of Haverfordwest and Aberystwyth County Courts, has been appointed President of the Association of District Judges.

DJ Godwin was admitted as a solicitor in 1977, and initially worked for Dilwyn Jones and Sons in Llandrindod. He later launched his own firm in Aberystwyth in 1994, and was appointed as a district judge in 2000.

Godwin J, who labels his jars “Pure honey—Judge for yourself”, says the role of judge is more demanding than ever before due to the increase in litigants in person.

“Many hearings are having to become far more inquisitorial in nature as opposed to the traditional adversarial process,” he says.

“Nowadays, district judges are often required not only to decide the outcome of a case but also to tease out from the parties the issues, then establish the facts, ascertain the area of law involved and then determine the outcome following statue and common law.”

However, he says the increase in the ceiling of small claims from £5,000 to £10,000 on 1 April will help as more litigants in person will be able to use the “more relaxed” small claims track “without the threat of being financially ruined by a heavy costs order if they lose”.