Sponsored by
Solicitor appointed as district judge
A SCARBOROUGH solicitor has been appointed a district judge – the first to be appointed to full-time judicial office for 30 years.
John Neaves, 53, of Green Lane, will take on the role from Monday January 19 after being assigned to the northern circuit, based at Salford County Court.
He said: “I am delighted. I have been working as a deputy district judge for the last three years and there is always a lot of competition for the full-time position so I was really pleased to find out my application had been successful.”
Mr Neaves attended schools in Scarborough and Wakefield, going on to read law at Leicester University and obtaining an LLB hons in 1976 before attending the College of Law in Guildford.
After taking time off from studying to do various jobs including working at McCain, Wray's bakery and Scarborough Council parks and gardens including work as an assistant grave digger, Mr Neaves obtained an HGV class-I driving licence which was followed by work with Goodyear as a tyre fitter at Formula One races throughout Europe.
Mr Neaves qualified as a solicitor in 1981, becoming a partner at local firm Cook Fowler & Outhet the following year. He remained there until 1998, specialising in civil litigation and family work before moving to Grunwells as a consultant.
He was appointed a deputy district judge in 2005, sitting part time in various courts on the north-eastern circuit - mainly Teesside, Newcastle and Sunderland - and dealing with civil and family claims including consumer matters, personal injury, debt, landlord and tenant claims, bankruptcy, divorce and ancillary relief, children disputes and possession claims.
Mr Neaves is also well-known in Scarborough as one-half of acoustic duo Pepperland, who regularly perform in the town and are soon to release a CD of new material.
Mr Neaves, who has one son, Jonathan, 20, and two stepchildren, has been married to Denise for 23 years.
He is a keen cyclist, as well as a qualified glider pilot, and frequently takes part in trail-quest events throughout the north.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Scarborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
