The Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary KC, retired in July, but a successor has yet to be confirmed. In the interim, Judge Neil Flewitt KC has agreed to take on the duties of the Recorder on a temporary basis for a period of a year.
Judge Unsworth Moves to Chester
Judge Ian Unsworth KC, who had been widely tipped as the long-term replacement for Judge Menary, has been appointed as the new Honorary Recorder of Chester, replacing Judge Steven Everett in November. Judge Unsworth had been sitting at Derby Square over the previous month or so following a transfer from Preston Crown Court.
The ECHO understands that resident judges were only formally notified of Judge Unsworth's posting to Chester later the same afternoon. The appointment came as a surprise to those on the inside.
Temporary Arrangement at Liverpool
Judge Flewitt, formerly a deputy to Judge Menary and one of the most experienced in the business, has stepped into the fray. The latest rumour is that this too may well be a short-term posting, with Judge Flewitt expected to serve for a slightly more extended period before Judge Unsworth returns to Merseyside and takes the top job on a permanent basis.
With a closer look at the Judiciary's announcement of Judge Unsworth's new job, the wording "for a period of four years" may well be telling, with the usual term of a recordership often being in the region of a decade. It may well be that he will eventually find his way back to the QE2, just perhaps slightly later than sooner.
Twists and turns to rival Everton's tumultuous transfer deadline day then. But, similar to the Toffees' well documented worries up front, there are no confirmed answers as of yet.
