Mrs Justice Judith Parker was investigated by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) following “a complaint by parties in a case that she had fallen asleep during a hearing”.

The 68-year-old judge has sat on the High Court bench since 2008, dealing with family cases. She is the second-longest serving judge in the Family Division.

A spokesperson for the JCIO said: “While concluding that this amounted to conduct which had the potential to undermine public confidence the in judiciary, the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice took into consideration that the judge fell asleep only momentarily and has expressed remorse for doing so.”