Emma Arbuthnot

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The Honourable
Mrs Justice Arbuthnot
DBE
High Court Judge
Assumed office
1 February 2021
MonarchElizabeth II
DivisionFamily
Personal details
BornMacclesfield, England
NationalityBritish
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1984)​
Parent(s)Michael Broadbent
Alma materLondon University

Emma Louise Arbuthnot, Baroness Arbuthnot of Edrom (née Broadbent) is an English judge. She was appointed to the High Court of England and Wales on 1 February 2020.[1] She is styled in court as The Honourable Mrs Justice Arbuthnot.[2]

Emma Louise Broadbent, daughter of Michael Broadbent, was born in Macclesfield and grew up in London. She attended a fee-paying French state school. After a period in the workforce, she studied at London University, while working as a cleaner, and graduated with a law degree.[3] On 6 September 1984, she married James Arbuthnot, a barrister and British Conservative Party politician.[4][5]

Emma Arbuthnot became a barrister in 1986. She was appointed as a Deputy District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) in 2000, a Recorder in 2001 (crime and then family), a full time District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) in 2005, the Deputy Senior District Judge (Chief Magistrate) in 2012, the Senior District Judge (Chief Magistrate) for England and Wales in 2016, and a Justice of the High Court of England and Wales in 2020.[6]

Rulings as Chief Magistrate[]

First unexplained wealth order[]

As Chief Magistrate, she made rulings related to the fugitive Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya,[7] and Zamira Hajiyeva, the first person subject to an unexplained wealth order.[8]

Julian Assange[]

Towards the end of 2019, Arbuthnot, who had presided at several of Julian Assange's extradition hearings,[9][10] stepped aside because of a "perception of bias", apparently linked to her husband.[11]

Uber[]

Uber’s application for a five-year licence was rejected by Transport for London in September 2017. In June 2018, Emma Arbuthnot granted Uber a probationary 15 month licence for London. An investigation by The Observer newspaper reported that Arbuthnot's husband, James Arbuthnot, was a director of SC Strategy Ltd. during Uber's appeal before his wife. SC Strategy Ltd is a private intelligence company which has worked for the sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), one of the main investors in a $1.2bn financing arrangement for Uber. After The Observer's report was published, Lady Arbuthnot withdrew from hearing any further appeals by the company.[12][13]

Grenfell[]

In August 2019 Arbuthnot cleared a man accused of filming a Grenfell Tower effigy being burned at a bonfire night party, whilst a group of friends laughed and joked.[14][15]. Her decision was overturned by the High Court in August 2021.[16]

References[]

  1. ^ "Crown Office | the Gazette".
  2. ^ "High Court Appointment". UK Judiciary. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  3. ^ "High Court Judges 2020". Judicial Appointments Commission. 2 November 2020.
  4. ^ "Candidate: James Arbuthnot". Personal details: Married September 6, 1984, Emma Broadbent. BBC, London. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Rt Hon James Arbuthnot MP profile". Conservative Party. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  6. ^ "High Court Judges 2020". Judicial Appointments Commission. 2 November 2020.
  7. ^ "UK court rules that Indian tycoon should face extradition".
  8. ^ Ward, Victoria (26 September 2019). "Banker's wife who spent £16m in Harrods escapes extradition to Azerbaijan on embezzlement charges". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  9. ^ "Julian Assange too ill to appear in court via video link, lawyers say". the Guardian. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Julian Assange to face US extradition hearing in UK next year". the Guardian. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  11. ^ Curtis, Mark; Kennard, Matt (4 September 2020). "Declassified UK: As British judge made rulings against Julian Assange, her husband was involved with right-wing lobby group briefing against WikiLeaks founder". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  12. ^ Doward, Jamie (18 August 2018). "Judge in Uber's London legal battle steps aside over husband's links to firm". the Guardian. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  13. ^ Bowcott, Owen (13 February 2019). "Chief magistrate's alleged bias toward Uber raised in court". the Guardian. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  14. ^ https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/22/paul-bussetti-court-effigy-grenfell-tower-bonfire-joke-about-own-friend-group-video
  15. ^ https://metro.co.uk/2019/08/22/burning-grenfell-tower-model-joke-friends-not-victims-died-10616054/
  16. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58054431
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