Three judges have been sacked for allegedly viewing porn at work, using official judiciary computers.
Three judges have been sacked for allegedly viewing porn at work, using official judiciary computers.
The Independent has reported that three judges, including District Judge Timothy Bowles, have been removed from office in UK, following an investigation into an allegation that they had been misusing court computers in their offices.
Judge Bowles made local headlines in 2010 when he ordered an Italian restaurant to refund an unhappy customer’s bill and pay her legal costs after she sued them over a “disgraceful” spaghetti carbonara.
A fourth judge, who stepped down before he could be fired, would have been likewise removed from office if he hadn’t resigned, according to a statement released by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office.
While the pornography was not illegal in content, a disciplinary panel found the judges conduct an “inexcusable misuse” of their IT accounts, and unacceptable given their position of responsibility.
"The Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice were satisfied that the material did not include images of children or any other illegal content, but concluded that this was an inexcusable misuse of their judicial IT accounts and wholly unacceptable conduct for a judicial office-holder," a spokesperson for the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said.
The Independent reported that the authority would not reveal what the judges viewed or how it came to light, due to confidentiality.
