Top judge to step down from presidency role after reprimand over love letter to colleague

Justice Marcus Smith reprimanded in August

A High Court judge, who was reprimanded for sending a love letter to a junior colleague, is stepping down from his role as president of the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).

Mr Justice Marcus Smith will leave the role when his term ends on 4 November, according to a statement published last week by the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. The Lord Chancellor has appointed Sir Peter Roth as acting president until a permanent successor is named.

Mr Justice Smith, who has served as president since November 2021, is expected to return to his role as a full-time judge in the Chancery Division.

The senior judge made headlines in August after being reprimanded by the judicial watchdog for sending a handwritten love letter to a junior colleague.

The colleague explained that the letter made them feel “distressed, angry, let down, and devalued,” which led them to report the incident and express their desire not to work with or encounter the judge again.

Mr Justice Smith acknowledged that the letter was clearly inappropriate and had caused his colleague significant emotional distress. He explained that he had not intended to pressure or take advantage of them, stressing that he admired their intellect and enjoyed working with them.