GMB’s National Congress, taking place in Blackpool this week, agreed a motion condemning criticism of judges “and their decisions”.

The motion entitled ‘Judges – neither punchbags nor puppets’ passed unanimously.

Gerry Hackett, GMB Congress delegate said: “Judges are entrusted with a simple but profound responsibility: to uphold the law.”

“And yet, in recent years, we have seen something deeply troubling - judges are becoming targets of politicians, commentators and members of the public who believe judges are fair game for abuse.

“We have reached the point where the lady chief justice herself felt compelled to speak out, which should set alarm bells ringing for all of us.

“Judges deserve to do their job free from intimidation, free from harassment and free from political interference.”