Four judges have lost their jobs after downloading porn on their work computers. And a totally innocent fifth judge found himself at the centre of a media storm because of his name.

District Judge Timothy Paul Bowles, Immigration Judge Warren Grant and Deputy District Judge Peter Bullock were all removed from office. A fourth judge, Recorder Andrew Maw, resigned before the inquiry had concluded. The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said that he too would have been sacked had he not fallen on his sword. The Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice described their actions as "wholly unacceptable conduct for a judicial office holder".

But spare a thought for the entirely blameless HIgh Court Master Timothy John Bowles who was suddenly besieged by the world's press over his morning cornflakes. The Judicial Conduct Investigations Officed hastily issued the following statement on Tuesday:

"Please be advised for clarity that District Judge Timothy (Paul) Bowles who sat at Romford County Court and has been removed from office should not be mistaken for The High Court Chancery Master Timothy (John) Bowles. There is no connection between the two." D'oh!

There was nothing illegal about the websites visited by the judges, and so it makes a change for members of the establishment to be disgraced over an interest in nothing more sinister than consensual shagging between adults. But it still seems extraordinary that members of the judiciary should be so addicted to spanking their collective monkey that they saw nothing wrong in using their work computers for the purpose.

    How it might have looked.

The sacked judges are now trying to avoid the attention of the world's press and the wrath of their wives. One of them, Warren Grant, put out a statement blaming his spank mag addiction on a case of "severe and undiagnosed depression" and pleading for privacy. The Evening Standard promptly splashed his photograph all over the paper, which will have done wonders for his black dog.
Tip Off ROF

Comments

Anonymous 20 March 15 06:52

As long as they watched in private and didn't leave a mess on a carpet paid for by taxpayers I fail to see why this is a sackable offence. The media always makes a big deal out of the judiciary being out of touch and unlike the people they judge. These four are clearly just like the rest of us.

Maybe an overzealous network administrator should be the next to go.

Anonymous 20 March 15 07:49

This is utterly, utterly disproportionate and what did the MoJ think they were doing publicising the judges' names with no other purpose other than to humiliate them.

Article from that Bastion of the Establishment, the Torygraph from 2009 entitled "All men watch porn, scientists find. Scientists at the University of Montreal launched a search for men who had never looked at pornography - but couldn't find any."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/6709646/All-men-watch-porn-scientists-find.html

So these men have their career terminated for doing something legal, which all men do - including the ones who sacked them - and which causes no harm to anyone. The worst that can be said is that they should have been doing it on their own time and not on a work computer - and perhaps the same could be said of posting on Facebook and Twitter. And that merits a verbal warning at most.

Just in case we lose perspective here, remember that judges don't get sacked for getting points on their licence for speeding, even though speeding is a criminal offence and can kill people.

Anonymous 20 March 15 07:57

Judges *ank shocker. I'm not one to judge but this all seems a little bit over the top. Who desnt enjoy a bit of porn?

Anonymous 20 March 15 08:02

His Honour Judge Jiz implicitly gave judgment on his favourite porn clip by watching it over and over again much to the horror of the stuffed shirts in the MoJ.

Roll On Friday 20 March 15 15:41

The naming and shaming is disgraceful. I can understand the sackings though - doing this sort of stuff at work on a work computer suggests poor judgement, which isn't a good quality in a judge.

Anonymous 20 March 15 20:24

Having worked with one of four previously in private practice I feel so sorry for him and his family. I agree what man has not looked at porn and seriously give them a warning not to use work computers again for this purpose and get on with life.