Reprimand recommendation upgraded to removal
A district judge has been removed from office for gross misconduct after being found to have repeatedly behaved inappropriately towards court staff.
Andrew Simpson was alleged to have engaged in “overly familiar and unprofessional conduct”, including contacting staff via text and social media about non-work matters, sending photographs from social events outside of work, and “unwanted physical contact”.
He was also accused of sending an email from his judicial account referring to himself and colleagues in “highly inappropriate terms”, and of sharing an image from a social event outside work that was described in the ruling as “highly sexualised”.
The judge accepted “the substance of some of the allegations” but denied any improper intent, saying his style was “informal but consistently polite and friendly”. He told investigators he had been attempting to support or cheer up staff during difficult periods. He nonetheless acknowledged that “certain behaviours were inappropriate”, expressed regret, and gave assurances they would not be repeated.
A disciplinary panel found that Simpson had “communicated inappropriately” with the staff concerned and had failed to recognise “the power imbalance inherent in his judicial role”.
While the panel accepted his intentions were not improper, it concluded his actions were “seriously misguided”, had an adverse impact on the working environment, and were inconsistent with a judge’s responsibility to maintain the dignity of judicial office and foster a safe and inclusive working environment.
The panel identified a number of mitigating factors, including Simpson’s positive intentions, his remorse, his previously unblemished record, and positive feedback from colleagues. On that basis, it recommended a reprimand.
The Lord Chancellor and the Lady Chief Justice disagreed. In the disciplinary statement, they found his conduct to be “wholly inappropriate” and representing “a serious failure to meet the standards expected of a judicial office holder”, amounting to “gross misconduct which involved a very serious failure of integrity”.
They noted his behaviour was repeated, involved an abuse of his position, and caused distress to staff. His challenge to the motivations of those who had supported the complaints was identified as an aggravating factor, as was his failure to demonstrate “sufficient insight into the seriousness of his conduct”.
Simpson’s position as a judicial office holder was deemed “no longer tenable” and he was removed from office, the most severe sanction available.
