Richard Aikens
{{Short description|British judge}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable
| name = Sir Richard Aikens
| honorific-suffix =
| office = Lord Justice of Appeal
| term_start = 19 November 2008
| term_end = 2 November 2015
| predecessor = Lord Justice Gage
| successor = Lord Justice Lindblom
| office2 = Justice of the High Court
| term_start2 = 6 May 1999
| term_end2 = 19 November 2008
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|08|28|df=y}}
| alma_mater = St John's College, Cambridge
}}
Sir Richard John Pearson Aikens PC (born 28 August 1948)[http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/keyfacts/list_judiciary/senior_judiciary_list.htm Senior Judiciary List] {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20120803031806/http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/about-the-judiciary/judges-magistrates-and-tribunal-judges/list-of-members-of-the-judiciary/senior-judiciary-list |date=2012-08-03 }} is a retired British judge, who was a Lord Justice of Appeal from 2008 to 2015.
Biography
Aikens was educated at Norwich School and St John's College, Cambridge, where he read history and law.{{cite web|url=http://www.middletemple.org.uk/members/masters-of-the-bench/directory/2858/?showall=true&page=1|title=Masters of the Bench - The Rt Hon Lord Justice Richard Aikens|website=The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple|accessdate=8 April 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409045814/http://www.middletemple.org.uk/members/masters-of-the-bench/directory/2858/?showall=true&page=1|archivedate=9 April 2014}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.middletemple.org.uk/bencher-persons-view?cid=33728|title = Middle Temple}}
He was called to the Bar (Middle Temple) in 1973 and joined what is now Brick Court Chambers in 1974. He became a Queen's Counsel in 1986.{{cite news |last1=England |first1=Joe |title=Interview: Sir Richard Aikens |url=https://www.counselmagazine.co.uk/articles/interview-sir-richard-aikens |access-date=28 April 2022 |work=Counsel Magazine |date=22 February 2016 |language=en}} He was appointed a Recorder in 1993, and a Bencher in 1994.
On 6 May 1999, Aikens was appointed to the High Court of Justice, receiving the customary knighthood,{{London Gazette|issue=55561|date=23 July 1999|page=7973}} and was assigned to the Queen's Bench Division. He was a judge of the Commercial and Admiralty Courts from 1999 to 2008, and was in charge of the Commercial Court in 2005–06). He was chairman of the Commercial Court Long Trials Working Party in 2006. During his judicial career in the High Court, He was noted for presiding the O'Connor–Keogh official secrets trial, where on 9 October 2006 he ruled the hearing should be held in secret under Section 11 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981.{{Cite news |date=2006-10-09 |title=Secrets case hearing in private |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6033955.stm |access-date=2025-02-07 |language=en-GB}}
On 19 November 2008, Aikens became a Lord Justice of Appeal,{{cite web |url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page16257 |title=Press Notice: Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales and Lords Justices of Appeal|publisher=number10.gov.uk |date=7 July 2008 |archiveurl=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090706042222/http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page16257 |archivedate=6 July 2009}} and received the customary appointment to the Privy Council the same year. He retired on 2 November 2015.{{cite web|title=Court of Appeal: Retirement of Lord Justice Aikens|url=https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/announcements/court-of-appeal-retirement-of-lord-justice-aikens/|accessdate=20 July 2017|date=2 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927005438/https://www.judiciary.uk/announcements/court-of-appeal-retirement-of-lord-justice-aikens/ |archive-date=27 September 2018 |url-status=dead}} After retirement, Aikens rejoined Brick Court Chambers as a door tenant.{{Cite web|url=http://www.brickcourt.co.uk/news/detail/sir-richard-aikens-and-robert-webb-qc-rejoin-brick-court-as-door-tenants|title = Sir Richard Aikens and Robert Webb QC rejoin Brick Court as door tenants | Brick Court Chambers}}
He is a visiting professor at Queen Mary University of London and King's College, London.{{cite web |title=Professor Sir Richard Aikens |url=https://www.qmul.ac.uk/law/people/visiting-and-honorary-staff/items/aikens.html |website=School of Law - Queen Mary University of London |access-date=8 June 2022 |language=en}}
Aikens is a supporter of Brexit, writing "our ability to determine our own laws is picked apart by the EU and its unaccountable judges. For the future of our democracy, we should vote Leave".{{Cite news |author1=Michael Howard |author2=Richard Aikens |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/22/the-eus-court-is-picking-apart-our-laws/|title=The EU's court is picking apart our laws|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=22 June 2016}} He co-authored a proposal with Guglielmo Verdirame and Professor George Yarrow for Britain to remain in the European Economic Area.{{cite web |title=The EEA Agreement: the key to a simplified Brexit process? |url=https://www.briefingsforbritain.co.uk/the-eea-agreement-the-key-to-a-simplified-brexit-process/ |website=www.briefingsforbritain.co.uk |date=31 August 2018 |access-date=14 December 2021}}
He is married with 2 sons and 2 step daughters.{{cite book |last1=Hume |first1=Lucy |title=People of Today 2017 |date=5 October 2017 |publisher=eBook Partnership |isbn=978-1-9997670-3-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q9tHEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA2158 |access-date=27 April 2022 |language=en}} He is also a patron of the arts, serving as a director of the English National Opera 1995-2004, founder and President of the Temple Music Foundation,{{cite web |title=Staff and Trustees |url=https://www.templemusic.org/about-us/whos-who |website=Temple Music |access-date=9 March 2023 |language=en}} chairman of Music and Theatre For All,{{cite web |title=Meet the Team |url=https://musicandtheatreforall.org/mtfa-front/meet-the-team/ |website=MTFA |access-date=9 March 2023 |date=5 March 2019}} and as a trustee of the Razumovsky Ensemble and Academy.{{cite web |title=The Razumovsky Trust |url=https://razumovsky.co.uk/about/razumovsky-trust |access-date=9 March 2023}}{{cite web |title=Governance – OUTCRY ENSEMBLE |url=http://www.theoutcryensemble.com/governance/ |access-date=9 March 2023}}
Books
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
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Category:English King's Counsel
Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge
Category:Fellows of St John's College, Cambridge
Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Category:People educated at Norwich School
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