James Pickles
Encyclopedia
Judge James Pickles was an English Circuit judge
famed for his "no nonsense" approach and many controversial decisions, who later became a tabloid columnist.
and was educated at Worksop College
. He read law at Leeds University and Christ Church, Oxford
.
at Bradford
, Yorkshire
from 1949 to 1976, serving as a Recorder
of the Crown Court from 1972 to 1976. He was then appointed Circuit Judge on the North Eastern circuit. His career as a judge was controversial, and some of his judgments made headline news, resulting in calls for judges to be held more accountable. These included the jailing of a woman for seven days for contempt when she refused to give evidence against her ex-boyfriend, who had assaulted her, and the imprisonment of a single mother for six months on a charge of theft.
He was a vocal proponent of the legalisation of cannabis
. In 1958 he was the Labour
candidate for the parliamentary constituency of Barkston Ash
, and at the 1966 general election
he contested Brighouse and Spenborough
as a Liberal
.
as a guest where he memorably sparred with Ian Hislop
. When Hislop told him it was a pleasure to be sitting opposite a judge, Pickles replied: "It's a great pleasure to be sitting opposite someone who should be in the dock." Pickles also appeared in an episode of Da Ali G Show
.
. His daughter, Carolyn Pickles
, is an actress, who appeared in Emmerdale
on television and most recently in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. His sister, Christina Pickles
, is an actress, most famous for her role in the US sitcom Friends
. He had two sons, Roger and Simon Pickles..
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
famed for his "no nonsense" approach and many controversial decisions, who later became a tabloid columnist.
Early life
Pickles was born in Halifax, West YorkshireHalifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
and was educated at Worksop College
Worksop College
Worksop College is a co-educational day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 13 to 18 in England. Worksop is split into eight houses - Talbot, Mason, Portland, Pelham and Shirley for boys and Gibbs, Derry and School House for girls.- Origins :...
. He read law at Leeds University and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
.
Legal career
Pickles practised as a barristerBarrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
at Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
from 1949 to 1976, serving as a Recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
of the Crown Court from 1972 to 1976. He was then appointed Circuit Judge on the North Eastern circuit. His career as a judge was controversial, and some of his judgments made headline news, resulting in calls for judges to be held more accountable. These included the jailing of a woman for seven days for contempt when she refused to give evidence against her ex-boyfriend, who had assaulted her, and the imprisonment of a single mother for six months on a charge of theft.
He was a vocal proponent of the legalisation of cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
. In 1958 he was the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
candidate for the parliamentary constituency of Barkston Ash
Barkston Ash (UK Parliament constituency)
Barkston Ash was a parliamentary constituency centred on the village of Barkston Ash in the West Riding of Yorkshire . It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1983...
, and at the 1966 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
he contested Brighouse and Spenborough
Brighouse and Spenborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Brighouse and Spenborough was a parliamentary constituency in the West Riding of Yorkshire, comprising the areas of the two municipal boroughs of Brighouse and Spenborough...
as a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
.
Television Career
Pickles appeared on Have I Got News for YouHave I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
as a guest where he memorably sparred with Ian Hislop
Ian Hislop
Ian David Hislop is a British journalist, satirist, comedian, writer, broadcaster and editor of the satirical magazine Private Eye...
. When Hislop told him it was a pleasure to be sitting opposite a judge, Pickles replied: "It's a great pleasure to be sitting opposite someone who should be in the dock." Pickles also appeared in an episode of Da Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show is the name of two related satirical TV series created by and starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and featuring the character Ali G....
.
Writing career
Pickles retired as a judge in 1990. In addition to his tabloid journalism, he also wrote several novels and memoirs, including Off the Record, Judge for Yourself, and Straight from the Bench. He also wrote many plays, some of which were aired on BBC radio.Personal life
He was the nephew of radio presenter Wilfred PicklesWilfred Pickles
Wilfred Pickles OBE was an English actor and radio presenter.Born in Halifax in the West Riding of Yorkshire, Pickles was a proud Yorkshireman, and having been selected by the BBC as an announcer for its North Regional radio service, went on to be an occasional newsreader on the BBC Home Service...
. His daughter, Carolyn Pickles
Carolyn Pickles
Carolyn Pickles is an English actress who has appeared in West End theatre and on British television, perhaps most notably in Emmerdale as Shelly Williams.-Life and career:Pickles was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England...
, is an actress, who appeared in Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
on television and most recently in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. His sister, Christina Pickles
Christina Pickles
Christina Pickles is an English actress, best known for her long-running role of Nurse Helen Rosenthal in the hospital drama St. Elsewhere, for which she was nominated for four Emmys.-Life and career:...
, is an actress, most famous for her role in the US sitcom Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
. He had two sons, Roger and Simon Pickles..