England: High Court appoints first female Asian judge

A barrister is to become the first female Asian High Court judge.

Bobbie Cheema-Grubb QC 49, is to be assigned to the Queen’s Bench division in November.

She was called to the bar in 1989 before taking silk in 2013.

In 2007, she was appointed as a recorder and has sat as a deputy High Court judge.

Her recent cases include those of Peter Ball, imprisoned for 32 months after he was found guilty of sexually abusing young priests 22 years after the allegations were first made and former barrister and recorder Constance Briscoe, who was found guilty of three charges of perverting the course of justice in 2014 and was sentenced to 16 months in prison at the Old Bailey.

Mrs Cheema-Grubb is a member of 2 Hare Court. Her biography on the chamber’s website states: “Described as ‘a wonderful performer in court’ and ‘quietly brilliant’ outside court, her well-deserved reputation for hard work and an astute tactical sense make her, for many, the first choice for the most serious criminal trials and quasi-criminal public law work.”

In 2011, Sir Rabinder Singh QC became the first Indian to be appointed to the High Court.