JUDGES are sometimes criticised being out of touch with the world, but that accusation could never be levelled at town’s most senior judge, The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Timothy Clayson, who is retiring after an eventful and distinguished career. Joanne Rowe reports.

Judge Timothy Clayson has devoted his life to trying to ensure justice is done, not just in Bolton, but internationally, with work taking him to war-torn Kosovo and, more recently, Cyprus.

Now, aged 66, he has decided the time is right to say farewell to Bolton Crown Court, where he has presided over cases for almost 14 years, the last six as resident judge.

In his unassuming chambers next to Court One, where he has heard hundreds of cases over the years, the judge, who has earned respect from legal professionals and the public alike for his wisdom, fairness and composure, reflected on his long career.

“It has been challenging, more than rewarding and I think there is a sense of fulfilment that goes with it which comes from knowing that you’ve helped to keep our system of criminal justice in a reasonably healthy state,” he said.

“It’s been a great privilege really.”

Originally from Leeds, Judge Clayson qualified as a barrister in 1974 and later became a Recorder (part time judge).

In 2000 he was ready for a new challenge so, when the United Nations began looking for international judges to help deal with the aftermath of the NATO intervention in Kosovo, Judge Clayson took the opportunity.

The previous year NATO had carried out air strikes in Kosovo and Serbia after Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic led a campaign of “ethnic cleansing” against Kosovo Albanians.

Thousands of people died and many more fled to neighbouring countries.

After Serbian forces were driven out the United Nations took over administration of the province.

Unlike English courts, where juries decide innocence or guilt, the international law court Judge Clayson presided over left it to judges to reach verdicts.

The experience of presiding over high profile war crimes trials, in a bitterly divided community and often in the glare of hostile publicity, was intense.

Among the horrific cases the judge had to preside over was the trial of four former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army who had kidnapped, imprisoned and tortured at least 13 men in a tiny shack. Five of them were later found in nearby graves.

Judge Clayson is convinced his time in Kosovo subsequently impacted the way he has approached cases back home in England.

“I have no doubt about that. It did have a very clear, to my mind, influence on how I have dealt with this job,” he said.

“Some of the cases out there were exceptionally awful and so I think that has tended to help me to draw the line between those cases which you might call really bad, those defendants who are really dangerous, and everyone else.

“I felt that it help me to identify the dividing line between those that I have to consider the protection of the public first and foremost and those where there was a possibility of dealing with them otherwise than by an immediate custodial sentence.”

Back in England Judge Clayson did not shy away from our country’s most horrific crimes. Only the most experienced, best qualified judges are allowed to preside over murder trials and three years ago Judge Clayson was given Class I status, meaning that, for the first time, homicide cases were heard in Bolton Crown Court.

The ability to try cases locally is something which the judge is passionate about.

“There is no good reason why we shouldn’t try such cases here,” he said.

“The most important point is this is about local justice so, it’s obviously far more convenient for witnesses, in particular, to attend. And it is good for the town to see issues which are local being resolved locally.”

The judge is keen for more members of the public to come to court to observe the law in action.

“To maintain the quality of justice we need witnesses to it and the best witnesses are the members of the public. Some cases can be really interesting to watch,” he said.

It is the people that he encounters each day and the stories that have to tell which, he says, has kept him fascinated by the judicial process for decades.

“The thing that has always kept my interest are the human stories that turn up through the courts every day.

“Dealing with a court case whether you are a victim, a defendant or a witness or a juror – it’s never going to be easy for any of those people and we need to be flexible and responsive to whatever combination of people we are happening to deal with in any given case.”

Despite the enormous burden of ensuring defendants and victims are dealt with justly Judge Clayson says he has never had difficulty “switching off” from some of the harrowing stories he hears when he gets home.

“It’s strange – I have never found it difficult to do that and yet you would think that it is something most people would have to work hard on … maybe it’s a personality thing,” he said.

As Bolton’s resident judge Judge Clayson is responsible for the efficient running of the judicial process in the court as well as presiding over hearings himself. As if that was not enough, for the last five years the hard-working judge has also been working in Cyprus.

After Cyprus gained independence in 1960 the British retained areas of land at Akrotiri and Dhekelia, still home to around 12,000 Cypriots, and Judge Clayson headed a team of nine English judges which dealt with civil and family cases as well as criminal matters there.

The role has meant frequent trips to the island although, unusually, Bolton court staff have sometimes had to set up live video links to so Judge Clayson can deal with Cyprus applications and deliver judgements from more than 2,000 miles away.

When not confined by the formality of his court room his staff describe him as having a fantastic sense of humour and in retirement he hopes to resume practising the piano while he and his wife Jo, who has recently retired from helping ex-offenders in a probation hostel, plan to move permanently to their home on the Yorkshire coast.

“We both want to live by the sea,” he said.

“My dad’s dad was a lighthouse keeper so I think there is a link, definitely.”

Although he will have more free time Judge Clayson is not planning to sever all involvement with the law. He will remain a deputy circuit judge able to preside, part time, in Crown Courts and will be returning to Kosovo, the country which has had such a big influence on him.

“By some extraordinary chance I am going back to do some work as part of a team which is assessing the processes for judicial appointments, promotions and transfers.

“It suits me very nicely because it won’t be sitting as a judge – why swap this for sitting as a judge somewhere else, it makes no sense – but I’m very happy to be doing that because, obviously, I have some background knowledge which might be useful.”

When Judge Clayson was appointed as resident judge at Bolton Crown Court, following the retirement of Judge William Morris in 2012, he was also given the title of Honorary Recorder of Bolton.

The title is one which which can be awarded by a borough council to a judge who sits at the Crown Court in their area.

On Wednesday, at Bolton’s full council meeting, councillors gave a vote of thanks to Judge Clayson for his work in the town and formally agreed to his successor, Judge Martin Walsh, also being made Honorary Recorder.

Council leader Linda Thomas moved a motion which stated: “The Council agrees to the vacancy of Honorary Recorder being filled by his Honour Judge Martin Walsh and that the Council wishes his Honour Judge Timothy Clayson a long and happy retirement and thanks him for his work in the courts.” The motion was seconded by Tory leader Cllr David Greenhalgh and was carried as councillors voted for it unanimously.

Judge Walsh takes up the post of resident judge today — a homecoming for him as he began his legal career as a solicitor in Bolton.

In 2009 he was appointed as circuit judge, working in the Midlands before a move to Manchester Crown Court in 2014. Like Judge Clayson, Judge Walsh is able to preside over trials of the most serious cases, such as murder.