Ex-Downpatrick man appointed High Court judge

Ex-Downpatrick man appointed High Court judge

16 January 2019

A FORMER Downpatrick man has been appointed as a new High Court judge in Northern Ireland.

Mr Justice Ian Huddleston was sworn into office before the Lord Chief Justice, Sr Declan Morgan, at a ceremony in Belfast last week.

His appointment following a legal career spanning three decades.

Mr Huddleston was admitted to the Law Society of Northern Ireland in 1991 and went on to become a partner in law firms in Belfast and London.

He has been involved in both fee earning and senior management roles, specialising in areas of property, tax and private client. 

In 2017, during his tenure as President of the Law Society, he represented the profession at a policy level on key issues such as Brexit.

A qualified mediator, Mr Huddleston was also a fee-paid legal member on the Tax Tribunal, and sat on the Charity Tribunal which hears appeals against decisions of the Charity Commission, prior to his judicial appointment.

The former Down High School student was in the same year as Madame Justice Denise McBride, originally from the Clough area, who was appointed one of the first ever women High Court judges in Northern Ireland in 2015.

Offering her congratulations to Mr Huddleston on his appointment, Suzanne Rice, President of the Law Society of Northern Ireland, said that over the course of his career, Mr Justice Huddleston had shown “great dedication and contribution” to the legal profession as a solicitor, Council Member and as President of the Law Society of Northern Ireland in 2016/17.

She added: “The Law Society is confident that he will make a significant contribution to the work of the Court and the development of the law.”