THE RECORDER OF LONDON

retires today:

His Honour Judge Brian John Barker QC retires as Senior Circuit Judge and the Recorder of London with effect from 16 January 2015.His Honour Judge Barker QC (70) was called to the Bar (G) in 1969, took Silk in 1990 and elected a Bencher in 1999. He was appointed a Recorder in 1985 and a Legal Member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal, Restricted Patients Panel, in 1993. He was appointed a Senior Circuit Judge in 2000, Common Serjeant of London in 2005 and the Recorder of London in 2013.

As Judge Barker did before, the current Common Serjeant will take up the reins:

The City of London Corporation has announced the appointment of His Honour Judge Nicholas

Hilliard QC as the next Recorder of London. Judge Hilliard, the current Common Serjeant, will take office in January 2015, in succession to His Honour Judge Brian Barker QC, who has served as Recorder of London since February 2013. In addition to duties as the senior judge of the Central Criminal Court (known as the ‘Old Bailey’), the Recorder of London is the Senior Law Officer of the City of London and officiates at key City elections. He also has official duties on State occasions where the City acts as host.