High Court judge 'sits' in Tenerife: Sensitive child protection cases will be heard by telephone in hotel room - 24th Apr 2011

High Court judge responsible for handling Britain’s most sensitive emergency court cases over Easter will be conducting hearings by phone from his holiday 1,800 miles away in Tenerife.

Sir Nicholas Mostyn, who earns £172,000 a year, is the duty judge for family hearings, often traumatic child care proceedings and bitter divorces.

He is understood to be with his new partner, fellow barrister Elizabeth Saunders, whose husband Mark was shot dead by police.

Last night the Judicial Communications Office (JCO) insisted Sir Nicholas could deal with cases by email and telephone.

But judges and lawyers expressed concern that it could cause a problem if an urgent matter needed to be dealt with in person and were surprised at the move by such a high-ranking duty judge.

Judges are already under scrutiny over the increasing number of privacy injunctions granted to celebrities who want to keep their misbehaviour out of the media.
When this newspaper contacted Sir Nicholas yesterday on his mobile phone he declined to comment.

Instead an officer from the JCO confirmed the judge went abroad after seeking permission from the head of the family division.

But one judge who specialises in family law cases said that not being in the country could be a problem if an urgent matter could not be dealt with over the telephone. Read More