Press release: Queen approves new Knighthoods and Damehoods

The Queen has been pleased to approve that the honour of Knighthood or Damehood be conferred upon Simon James Bryan, Q.C., Akhlaq Ur-Rahman Choudhury, Q.C., Jonathan Lionel Cohen, Q.C., Julian Nicholas Goose, Q.C., Gwynneth Frances Knowles, Q.C., Julian Bernard Knowles, Q.C., Peter Richard Lane, Jane Clare Moulder, Matthew James Nicklin Q.C., Martin Benedict Spencer, Q.C., David Basil Williams, Q.C., and Amanda Louise Yip, Q.C. on their appointment as Justices of the High Court.

Background

Simon James Bryan, was called to the Bar (L) in 1988 and took Silk in 2006. He was appointed as a Recorder in 2009, a Deputy High Court Judge in 2013 and Chief Justice of the Falkland Islands in 2015.

Akhlaq Ur-Rahman Choudhury was called to the Bar (I) in 1992 and took Silk in 2015. He was appointed as a Recorder in 2009 and as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2016.

Jonathan Lionel Cohen was called to the Bar (L) in 1974 and took Silk in 1997. He was appointed as an Assistant Recorder in 1993, as a Recorder in 1997 and as a fee-paid Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, Health, Education and Social Care Chamber in 2000 and authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2005.

His Honour Judge Julian Nicholas Goose was called to the Bar (L) in 1984 and took Silk in 2002. He was appointed as an Assistant Recorder in 1999, as a Recorder in 2000. He was authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2010 and appointed as a Senior Circuit Judge in 2013.

Gwynneth Frances Knowles was called to the Bar (G) in 1993 and took Silk in 2011. She was appointed as a fee-paid Tribunal Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, Health, Education and Social Care Chamber in 2007, as a salaried Judge of the Upper Tribunal, Administrative Appeals Chamber in 2014 and authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2016.

Julian Bernard Knowles was called to the Bar (I) in 1994 and took Silk in 2011. He was appointed as a Recorder in 2009 and as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2017.

Tribunal Judge Peter Richard Lane was admitted as a Solicitor in 1985. He was appointed as a fee-paid Immigration Adjudicator in 1996, as a salaried Immigration Adjudicator in 2001, as a Vice President of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal in 2003 (becoming a Senior Immigration Judge in 2005 and a Judge of the Upper Tribunal in 2008), as a legal member of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission in 2005 and as President of the General Regulatory Chamber in 2014. He is authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge.

Jane Clare Moulder was admitted as a Solicitor in 1984. She was appointed as a Recorder in 2010, she was authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2013 and appointed as a Specialist Circuit Judge in 2015.

Matthew James Nicklin was called to the Bar (L) in 1993 and took Silk in 2013. He was appointed as a Recorder in 2009 and authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2017.

Martin Benedict Spencer was called to the Bar (I) in 1979 and took Silk in 2003. He was appointed as a Recorder in 2001 and authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2017.

David Basil Williams was called to the Bar (I) in 1990 and took Silk in 2013. He was appointed as a Recorder in 2016 and authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2017.

Amanda Louise Yip was called to the Bar (G) in 1991 and took Silk in 2011. She was appointed as a Recorder in 2008 and authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2013.