A reception has been held to mark the appointment of Judge Christine Laing, the senior judge in Sussex, as the new honorary recorder of Brighton and Hove.
The event was held in the Mayor’s Parlour at Brighton Town Hall last Wednesday (30 January) after Brighton and Hove City Council voted to appoint Judge Laing at a meeting in December.
She has taken over as the resident judge at Lewes Crown Court and as honorary recorder from Judge Shani Barnes who held the posts from 2013 after the retirement of her predecessor Judge Richard Brown, the senior circuit judge.
The post of honorary recorder is an unpaid ceremonial office aimed at helping to build links between councils and the judiciary and to enhance understanding of the judicial system in the community. The role may involve attending ceremonial and civic functions.
A report to the full council said: “Judge Laing QC was a criminal barrister for 30 years, becoming a recorder in 2004 and taking silk in 2006.
“She was appointed to the bench full-time in 2014 when she was assigned to Woolwich Crown Court although she maintained a home on the Sussex coast.
“Judge Laing QC has long been involved with her local community in Sussex, including as a volunteer with a large homelessness charity.”
When invited to take up the post, Judge Laing said: “One of my major interests is in finding ways to cut the cycle of crisis and crime.”
She was a trustee of a charity making governmental proposals in this area while practising as a barrister, mainly in Sussex, becoming a Queen’s Counsel – or senior barrister – in 2006.
She prosecuted and defended numerous murder trials and serious child sexual abuse cases before becoming a full-time judge in 2014.
Her voluntary work with the homeless has included both fundraising and working as a breakfast cook.
