Judge Disciplined After Three Speeding Offences While Rushing to Court

Deputy District Judge Charles Crow received nine penalty points after three speeding offences committed while travelling to or from court. He has been given formal advice for misconduct.

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25 September 2026

A Deputy District Judge has been given formal advice for misconduct after receiving nine penalty points for three separate speeding offences while travelling to or from court.

Deputy District Judge Charles Crow committed the offences between November 2023 and March 2026, according to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO).

The disciplinary action followed an expedited misconduct process after Judge Crow accepted responsibility for the offences.

Judge admitted misconduct

Judge Crow apologised and said he was embarrassed by his conduct. He accepted responsibility for the speeding offences and acknowledged that they amounted to misconduct.

He told the JCIO that the offences happened while he was travelling to or from court and that rushing had contributed to his driving.

He also set out measures he plans to take to prevent similar incidents, including using public transport more often, improving his time management and making greater use of speed-limiting controls when driving.

Formal advice issued

The Lady Chief Justice, with the agreement of the Lord Chancellor, issued Judge Crow with formal advice for misconduct.

The JCIO said the decision took into account the repeated nature of the speeding offences, as well as Judge Crow's acceptance of responsibility, remorse and the steps he had taken to reduce the risk of similar conduct happening again.

The matter was handled under the expedited process provided for by the Judicial Conduct Rules 2023. This procedure can be used when the relevant facts are not disputed and the conduct is considered likely to amount to misconduct warranting formal advice or a formal warning.

Nine penalty points

Judge Crow received a total of nine penalty points on his driving licence from the three speeding offences. Under UK rules, drivers can normally lose their licence if they accumulate 12 or more penalty points within a three-year period.

The disciplinary case concerned the judge's conduct as a judicial office-holder, rather than a criminal prosecution arising from the speeding offences.

Judicial conduct rules

The Guide to Judicial Conduct requires judicial office-holders to respect the law and maintain the reputation and good standing of the judiciary.

The JCIO's published disciplinary framework lists formal advice as one of the available sanctions for judicial misconduct, alongside more serious measures including formal warnings, reprimands and removal from office.

Judge Crow's case was concluded with formal advice after he acknowledged the wrongdoing and outlined steps to prevent it from happening again.

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