Circuit Judge Dangor hangs up her robes

A Bermudian judge has hung up her robes and wig after nearly 15 years in the upper levels of the English court system.

Patricia Dangor retired last week as a Circuit Judge in the London area – the first person of African-Caribbean descent to be appointed to such a senior role.

Ms Dangor, the older sister of Finance Minister Bob Richards and Bermuda College lecturer and author Angela Barry, spent 14 years as a Circuit Judge before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Bermuda Chief Justice Ian Kawaley, the head of the judicial system on the island, said: “On the occasion of Her Honour Judge Patrica Dangor’s retirement as a Circuit Judge in England & Wales, I would like to commend her for her trailblazing legal and judicial career in England and thank her for her valuable part-time service as an occasional Puisne Judge in Bermuda over the last 18 years.

“In that capacity, she has handled a variety of cases, mainly civil but occasionally criminal, as well.

“I wish her and her family well in what I expect will be an active retirement and hope that she may have the opportunity to assist Bermuda’s Judiciary at the Court of Appeal level in the years ahead.”

The Head of Courts and Tribunals Judicial Appointments Louise Joyce, writing on behalf of Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling MP, said: “You are known for the help and support you have given to staff and for the consideration you have always shown to witnesses and all court users.

“You will be greatly missed for the effective manner in which you have dealt with a large and diverse range of judicial work.

“In expressing my gratitude on behalf of the Lord Chancellor for your assistance, I know that I am also speaking for all those who have had the pleasure of working with you, both your judicial colleagues and the court staff.

“Finally, I trust that a less pressured life in retirement will allow you to spend more time pursuing your other interests. I wish you the very best with these.”

Ms Dangor was educated at the Central School and the Berkeley Institute and completed her schooling in England. She was called to the Bar in 1970 and practiced in family and criminal law. She was appointed an Assistant Recorder, a part-time judicial role sitting mostly in English Crown and County Courts, in 1991, becoming a full Recorder in 1998 and to the Circuit Bench in 1999.

She sat in criminal courts and family and civil law courts until 2008, when she moved to Harrow Crown Court.

She was called to the Bermuda Bar in 1973 and has served as a Stipendiary Magistrate, Coroner and Registrar of the Supreme Court.

She began sitting as a Puisne Judge in Supreme Court on an occasional basis in 1995.

Last year, she sat as an observer in the Bermuda Court of Appeal as it dealt with appeals in murder cases.

Ms Dangor has also served on numerous committees of the Bar Council of England and Wales, including the Race Relations Committee and the Working Party on Entry to the Bar.

In addition, she was a founding member of Lawyers Against Apartheid, set up in opposition to the racist white minority rule in South Africa and sat as an observer in the Constitutional Court of South Africa in 2011.

She has a keen interest in restorative justice and is to be trained as a facilitator in the field.