Taxi Driver Online

Bradford justice steps down from bench

Judge Roger Scott, one of the area’s most colourful judicial characters, has retired… to take up taxi driving and learn Chinese Mandarin! The new Recorder of Bradford, Judge James Stewart QC, described it as “a sad day for Bradford Crown Court” while the consensus among his colleagues was: “It won’t be the same without you.”

Judge Scott, a familiar sight outside the court building exercising his dachshunds Charlie and Millie, is held firmly in the affections of fellow judges, barristers and local criminals alike. Recently, a woman fondly patted the little dogs before proudly telling passers-by Judge Scott had jailed her several months earlier.

Known for his scathing attacks on the “inefficiency” of the Crown Prosecution Service, he was a stickler for punctuality, once staging a “lock-in” by refusing to let any barrister leave his court on a busy morning until their case had been dealt with.

Judge Stewart told a packed courtroom today how he had suggested that Judge Scott should line his dog baskets with his redundant robes. He has known the judge since 1968 when he was first called to the bar.

Judge Stewart recalled his fellow judge’s brand new “James Bond style” Aston Martin, that over the years changed to a hatchback with an “I love dachshunds” sticker on the back. “He is an excellent and popular judge, some say a little eccentric at times, but strong, fair and decisive and not an ounce of pomposity in him.”

He said Judge Scott put in an enormous amount of work reducing a big backlog of cases at the court. Judge Scott told the gathering he had begun learning Chinese Mandarin and added: “I’m going to be a private hire taxi driver!” Associates said he will be helping out a friend who runs a taxi business in the Harrogate area.

Barristers gave the Telegraph & Argus three of their favourite memories of Judge Scott: l If a member of the bar foolishly or absent-mindedly let a mobile phone ring in court, it would be confiscated by Judge Scott who required the offender to give at least £10 to Children In Need before it was returned.

l When the judge jailed a husband and wife for offences of dishonesty, he asked the prison authorities to allow them “ten minutes together” in a cell before they were separated. l When a police dog apprehended a burglar, the animal was “commended” by the judge who ordered a box of Bonio to be bought from public funds.

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IDFIMH

What a waist, mind you he will learn first hand what we all have to put up with now

Are you talking about Toot's avatar?

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IDFIMH