Hybrid | The Need for a Criminal Division of the High Court?

About this Inaugural Lecture

In this lecture Professor David Ormerod CBE KC considers the distinctiveness of criminal judgecraft and questions whether there is a need to create a new Criminal Division of the High Court to reflect the need for greater specialism in High Court judges tasked with criminal work.

Watch the video directly on our YouTube Channel or view it below

YouTube Widget Placeholderhttps://youtu.be/pzM3-rGj6L0

About the Speaker

David Ormerod, CBE, KC(Hon) DCL(Hon)
David Ormerod is the Professor Criminal Justice. He has been an academic lawyer for over 30 years. He has published widely on all aspects of criminal law, evidence and procedure. His publications are regularly cited in the appellate courts in this jurisdiction and overseas. He is the author of the leading criminal law textbook - Smith, Hogan and Ormerod’s Criminal Law, the editor of the UK’s leading criminal law journal - The Criminal Law Review, and the editor-in-chief Blackstone’s Criminal Practice.

He is a barrister, (a tenant at Red Lion Chambers) and a Bencher of Middle Temple. In 2013 he was appointed QC (Honoris Causa).  In 2018 he was appointed as a deputy High Court Judge. From 2010-2019 he was the Criminal Law Commissioner for England and Wales leading on all the criminal law reform projects. He has been involved in delivering training for the Judicial College for nearly 20 years. In 2021 he was appointed a CBE in the New Years’ Honours in recognition of his service to the criminal justice system.

David’s research interests are in all areas of criminal justice and related areas. He seeks to provide comprehensive and thorough doctrinal analysis of the current law and to identify practical and constructive reform. David’s research has always demonstrated a strong commitment to law reform. The focus of much of his research involves comprehensive analysis of case law and proposed or recently enacted legislation.

About Current Legal Problems

The Current Legal Problems (CLP) lecture series and annual volume was established over fifty five years ago at the Faculty of Laws, University College London and is recognised as a major reference point for legal scholarship.