Derek Schofield
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The Hon. Mr. Justice Derek Schofield |
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Derek Schofield
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| Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Gibraltar | |
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In office 1996 – 17 November 2009 |
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| Appointed by | Governor of Gibraltar Sir Hugo White |
| Succeeded by | Anthony Dudley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1945 (age 71–72) |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Schofield |
| Children | 4 |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Profession | Judge |
The Hon Mr Justice Derek Schofield, born 1945, commenced his legal career in 1961 when he was appointed assistant in the office of the clerk of the court in Lancashire. He was called to the bar in 1970, at Gray's Inn.
He has served as the Senior Judge in the Cayman Islands, and a high court judge in Kenya.
In 1996 he was appointed the current Chief Justice of Gibraltar of the Supreme Court of Gibraltar and has been suspended for the best part of 2 years. A Tribunal of inquiry was held in Gibraltar, estimated to have cost some £2million., which submitted a report to the Governor of Gibraltar, who referred the matter to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. This held hearings in London between the 15 and 18 June 2009 to consider the question of his removal as Chief Justice of Gibraltar due to misbehaviour and inability.
He is married to human rights lawyer Anne Schofield, and has four children.
He is known for his strong support of human rights and the independence of the judiciary which led him to resign as high court judge and leave Kenya with his family in 1987 when he refused to be influenced by strong political interference in a case.
During his term as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Gibraltar, he made several significant decisions, including the ruling that it is unconstitutional for jury service to be compulsory only for men. The decision was reversed on appeal and then went to the Privy Council, who overturned the Gibraltar Government objection of equality for women in jury service.
There were also a number of controversies over his conduct, which led to his suspension and subsequent removal from office.
Since his appointment as Chief Justice of Gibraltar, he had been involved in high-profile disputes that he has actively pursued with Chief Minister Peter Caruana. The Tribunal of Inquiry, appointed by the Governor to look into whether his appointment should be referred to the Privy Council, reported that they found that Chief Justice Schofield misbehaved in his pursuit of these disputes and was unable to perform the duties of Chief Justice of Gibraltar.
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Wikipedia