Mr Justice Lindblom

I was pleased to see the news on Friday that Keith Lindblom QC has been appointed to the High Court bench. He has a well-deserved reputation as a first-class planning lawyer, and so will be a valuable addition to the High Court.

It is not yet clear whether he will be assigned to the QBD (Robert Carnwath, for example, sat in the Chancery Division before his elevation to the Court of Appeal), but he would certainly strengthen the Administrative Court’s judicial team if he does go to the Queen’s Bench.

There has always been a small but high-powered contingent of ‘planning’ judges in the High Court, including (in recent years) Robert Carnwath and Jeremy Sullivan (both now in the Court of Appeal) and Duncan Ouseley. Before that there was David Keene, who also went up to the Court of Appeal.

I shall look forward to reading the judgments of Lindblom J as much as I do those of Ouseley J and of Sullivan and Carnwath LJJ.

UPDATE (6.5.16 - somewhat belatedly): I have not previously drawn attention to the fact that Keith Lindblom went up to the Court of Appeal last Autumn, following the retirement of Sir Jeremy Sullivan. I am sure we were all sorry to see Jeremy Sullivan leave the bench; he was arguably the finest planning lawyer of his generation. However, Sir Keith Lindblom's promotion is a very welcome additon to the Court of Appeal. It is good to know that we have judges of this calibre dealing with planning cases in the higher courts.

© MARTIN H GOODALL