Howard Riddle

Riddle was educated at Bexley Grammar School; The Judd School, Tonbridge in Kent; the London School of Economics and the College of Law, Lancaster Gate. He was Admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in 1978.

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1969–70 - Sub-Editor, Penguin Books;

1970–71 - Editor, McGill-Queens University Press;

1971–76 - Publications Officer, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canada;{{Cite web|url=https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx|title=Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council|first=Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada|last=Government of Canada|date=11 May 2012|website=www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca}}

1976–95 - Solicitor, Edward Fail, Bradshaw and Waterson, (Senior Partner, 1985–95);

1993–95 - Vice-Chairman, London Area Committee, Legal Aid Board;

2004–10 - Member, Sentencing Advisory Panel, (Vice-Chairman, 2007–10);

2008–11 - Chairman, Legal Committee, Council of District Judges (Magistrates' Courts);

2012–17 - Member, Editorial Board: Blackstone's Criminal Practice;

2012–17 - Member, Editorial Board: Criminal Law Review, now Honorary Member.

Riddle was appointed a Metropolitan Stipendiary Magistrate in 1995, automatically becoming a District Judge (Magistrates' Courts) upon the renaming of that role. He was appointed Senior District Judge for England and Wales (Chief Magistrate) in 2010.

He was a contributing editor to Wilkinson's Road Traffic Offences between 2008–12 and contributed to Blackstone's Criminal Practice between 2011-12.

District Judge Riddle (as he then was) presided over a high-profile extradition cases, including:

• Julian Assange wanted in Sweden on allegations of sexual assaults, including rape,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/Misc/2011/5.html|title=Sweden, The judicial authority of v Assange [2011] EW Misc 5 (MC) (24 February 2011)|website=www.bailii.org}}
• Shrien Dewani wanted in South Africa for the alleged murder of his wife on their honeymoon (he was sent to South Africa and acquitted).{{Cite web|url=https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/Misc/2011/11.html|title=South Africa v Dewani [2011] EW Misc 11 (MC) (10 August 2011)|website=www.bailii.org}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/shrien-dewani-acquitted-six-reasons-case-was-dismissed-9910478.html|title=Six reasons Shrien Dewani was acquitted|date=8 December 2014|website=The Independent}}
• Domenico Rancadore who had been convicted in Italy in absence of mafia-related offences (the warrant was later withdrawn).{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26612261|title=Domenico Rancadore: Mafia boss wins extradition battle|work=BBC News|date=17 March 2014}}
• Davit Kezerashvili the former defence minister of Georgia wanted for prosecution for financial offences (extradition was refused).

He also tried and/or sentenced high-profile criminal cases, including an unsuccessful private prosecution against Thomas Monson, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for fraud.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-26666144|title=Mormon leader Thomas Monson fraud case thrown out|work=BBC News|date=20 March 2014}}

In March 2011 he was criticised by some for convicting a man who had burned a poppy in a demonstration during the two-minute silence on Armistice Day (it being said by critics that this breached the right to freedom of expression),{{Cite web|url=https://ukhumanrightsblog.com/2011/03/09/poppy-burning-free-speech-and-the-50-question/|title=Poppy burning, free speech and the £50 question|date=9 March 2011|website=UK Human Rights Blog}} and more widely criticised for imposing too lenient a fine after conviction.

In 2015 Riddle issued search warrants for premises connected to three distinguished and entirely innocent men. The allegations against them were made by a man known at the time as “Nick” but later identified as Carl Beech. In 2019 Beech was convicted of perjury for these false allegations, and sentenced to a lengthy term of imprisonment. A report by Sir Richard Henriques, a former High Court judge commissioned by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, concluded that the judge was correct to issue the warrants on the basis of the information provided to him, but would not have done so had the information provided to him by the police not been misleading.{{cite web|url=https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/foi-media/metropolitan-police/other_information/corporate/mps-publication-chapters-1---3-sir-richard-henriques-report.pdf|title=The Independent Review of the Metropolitan Police Service's handling of non-recent sexual offence investigations alleged against persons of public prominence|website=met.police.uk|date=4 October 2019|access-date=7 June 2023}}{{Primary source inline|date=November 2023}}

He was appointed an Honorary Bencher of Gray’s Inn in 2012.{{cite web|url=https://www.graysinn.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/members/Gray%27s%20Inn%20-%20HONORARY%20MASTERS%20OF%20THE%20BENCH%20-%2012%20November%202020.pdf|title=Gray's Inn. Honorary Masters of the Bench|website=Gray's Inn|date=12 November 2020|access-date=7 June 2023}}

Riddle was awarded a CBE in the 2018 New Year Honours List.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/content/101304|title=The New Year honours 2018|website=www.thegazette.co.uk}}

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• [https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/cps-v-danny-cipriani/ Sentencing remarks in the drink driving case of Danny Cipriani]

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| title = Senior District Judge

| before = Timothy Workman, CBE

| after = Emma Arbuthnot

| years = 2010 - 2016

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Category:1947 births

Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics

Category:20th-century English judges

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century English judges

Category:Stipendiary magistrates (England and Wales)