Cornwall Street Barristers is delighted by today’s announcement that Simon Bradshaw is to be appointed as a District Judge with immediate effect. Very sadly this means that we will be saying goodbye to Simon after fifteen years.
Simon came to Chambers after a long career as an engineering officer in the Royal Air Force, during which time he studied law with the Open University. He went on to qualify for the Bar and was Called by Middle Temple in 2009. That year he was successful in applying for pupillage at Cornwall Street, which at that time was offered a year in advance so he commenced pupillage under Peter Cooke (now HHJ Cooke) in January 2011.
Following a mixed common-law pupillage Simon initially had a broad practice but soon focussed on civil and family work. For the last ten years he has split his practice evenly between civil Chancery (or Business and Property as it is becoming known) work and divorce family finance work. Indeed, he became something of a specialist in divorce claims with a substantial business or property element, such as where the parties owned multiple properties or had been in business together. He combined his practice with undertaking a part-time MSc in Forensic Science at Cranfield University from 2017 to 2020, and returned annually to teach students on the Courtroom Skills module of that course.
In 2019 Simon applied successfully to become a Deputy District Judge. He was appointed in 2020 although delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic meant that he did not start sitting until 2021. Since then he has sat regularly in Birmingham and nearby courts on a range of civil and family work. In 2022 he was appointed as a specialist Business and Property Courts DDJ at Birmingham allowing him to hear applications and case management hearings in the High Court.
In addition to Simon developing an outstanding practice, he has played a critical role in the life of chambers. From a social perspective he has always been on hand to represent Chambers at quiz nights; as well as being “in house baker” for Chambers, undertaking the ’technical challenge’ every week when the Great British Bake Off is being broadcast. From the business and administration side of Chambers, SImon has been an integral and essential part of the running of Chambers, having been ever present on the Management Committee.
Simon is initially to be deployed to Wolverhampton Combined Court Centre but from October onwards he will be sitting at Birmingham Civil and Family Justice Centre.
Head of Chambers, Oliver Woolhouse, said “Simon has been an enormous part of Chambers’ development and success for the past 15 years. He has devoted an enormous amount of his time to the benefit of others. Whilst he will be a great loss to Chambers, I am delighted for Simon both professionally and personally.”
www.judiciary.uk/appointments-and-retirements/district-judge-appointment-simon-bradshaw/