Adrian Fulford

Early life

Fulford was born on 8 January 1953. He was educated at Elizabeth College, Guernsey and went up to the University of Southampton, gaining a LLB. From 1974 to 1975, he served as a housing advisor at Shelter's Housing Aid Service.

Legal career

He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple as a barrister in 1978, and appointed Queen's Counsel in 1994.

One of Fulford’s earliest, and most prominent, cases was serving as counsel to Ronnie Bolden, on trial at the Old Bailey in 1989 charged with armed robbery by the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad (SCS), which was later disbanded.

Judicial career

In 1995, Fulford was made a Recorder of the Crown Court (re-appointed in 2001). His appointment as a High Court judge on 21 November 2002 was only the second such appointment of an openly homosexual QC, and the first to the King's Bench Division (then called the Queen's Bench Division)..

High Court

Fulford was appointed to what was then the Queen's Bench Division and received the customary knighthood. Though he became a judge of the International Criminal Court in 2003, Fulford continued his work at the High Court, presiding over a number of high-profile cases. Among these were the 21 July 2005 London bombings trial, an extremist Muslim plot to cause deadly explosions similar to those which killed over 50 people on 7 July; the trial of terrorist plotter Saajid Badat; and the trial of PC Simon Harwood for the death of a street newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson in the City of London. Fulford's term on the ICC ended on 11 March 2012.

On 11 May 2012, Fulford imposed a whole life order on David Oakes, who was convicted at the Crown Court at Chelmsford of the premeditated and sadistic murder of his former partner and daughter. Fulford also presided over the trial of Jiervon Barlett and Najed Hoque who were accused of the manslaughter of Paula Castle, a woman mugged in Greenford, West London. He sentenced them to 13 years.

Fulford received the UK Government's nomination, and was subsequently elected in 2003 to serve, as one of 18 judges of the International Criminal Court for a term of nine years, and was assigned to the Trial Division. He was sworn into office on 11 March 2003. Fulford presided over the ICC's first trial, that of Thomas Lubanga, and in that capacity delivered the court's first guilty verdict on 14 March 2012.

Court of Appeal

On 10 May 2013, Fulford was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal.

In March 2014, the Mail on Sunday printed allegations that Fulford had been a supporter of the Pedophile Information Exchange (PIE) in the 1970s. He denied the allegation. Following this allegation, he stepped down from judging criminal cases and an official investigation by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office took place. The investigation, by Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore, concluded on 18 June 2014 that the allegations against Fulford were "without substance" and he "was not and had never been a supporter of PIE or its aims". Following his exoneration, Fulford resumed sitting as a judge on the full range of appeals.

Fulford was appointed as the Deputy Senior Presiding Judge on 1 January 2015, and was promoted to Senior Presiding Judge on 1 January 2016 succeeding Peter Gross. On 31 March 2017, Fulford stood down from this position, to accept appointment as the first Investigatory Powers Commissioner in which role he will be supported by fifteen senior judges appointed under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016.

In 2021, he presided over the sentencing of Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, who pleaded guilty to the murder of Sarah Everard. Sentencing him at the Old Bailey to a whole-life tariff, Fulford described the case as "devastating, tragic and wholly brutal" and told Couzens he had eroded public confidence in the police.

On 1 October 2022, Fulford retired as a Lord Justice of Appeal.

Controversy

In March 2014, The Mail on Sunday published allegations that Sir Adrian Fulford had supported the Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE) in the 1970s, citing his involvement with the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), an organisation that PIE was affiliated with at the time. The article claimed that Fulford, as a former NCCL executive member, had links to the group.

Fulford categorically denied the allegations, stating that he had “never had any involvement in, or sympathy for, the Paedophile Information Exchange or any of its objectives.”{{cite news | title=Lord Justice Fulford backed paedophile campaign, paper claims | work=BBC News | date=9 March 2014 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-26502420 | access-date=3 November 2025 }}

Following the publication, Fulford voluntarily stepped down from hearing criminal cases while an investigation by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) took place. The inquiry, led by Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore, concluded on 18 June 2014 that the allegations were “without substance” and confirmed that Fulford “was not and had never been a supporter of PIE or its aims.” He subsequently resumed his judicial duties.{{cite news | title=Lord Justice Fulford cleared over paedophile campaign claims | work=BBC News | date=18 June 2014 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27921031 | access-date=3 November 2025 }}

Honours

• He was appointed as a Queen's Counsel (QC) in 1994.
• He was Knighted as a Knight Bachelor on 16 December 2002. The award was Gazetted on 11 March 2003.
• He was sworn in as a member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council in 2013. This allows him the Honorific Title "The Right Honourable" for Life.
• He was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) by the University of Southampton in 2011.

References

References

1. (3 March 2017). "Investigatory Powers Commissioner appointed: Lord Justice Fulford". gov.uk.
2. (30 May 2019). "Appointment of the Vice-President of the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)".
3. (2019-12-01). "Fulford, Rt Hon. Sir Adrian Bruce, (born 8 Jan. 1953)".
4. {{London Gazette. (26 November 2002)
5. (28 November 2008). "Comment: Gay judge reflects on thirty years as an out lawyer". PinkNews.co.uk.
6. (2022-06-22). "First openly gay judge to lead LGBT veterans probe". BBC News.
7. Sullivan, Kevin. (12 July 2007). "4 in London Bomb Plot Get Life Terms". [[The Washington Post]].
8. (22 April 2005). "Shoebomb plotter given 13 years". [[BBC News Online]].
9. (11 May 2012). "David Oakes jailed for murder of former partner and two-year-old daughter". The Daily Telegraph.
10. (11 May 2012). "David Oakes jailed for ex-partner and daughter murders". BBC News Online.
11. "Judge Sir Adrian Fulford". International Criminal Court.
12. "Genocide Watch: 18 Judges Elected to International Criminal Court".
13. (12 July 2007). "Decision notifying the election of the Presiding Judge in the case against Mr. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo". International Criminal Court.
14. (14 March 2012). "ICC finds Congo warlord Thomas Lubanga guilty". BBC News.
15. {{London Gazette. (15 May 2013)
16. (9 March 2014). "Lord Justice Fulford backed paedophile campaign, paper claims". BBC News.
17. "Appointment of the new Senior Presiding Judge".
18. (2021-09-30). "Sarah Everard's killer sentenced live: Wayne Couzens's lawyer says he's 'full of self-loathing' as he appears in court for sentence". Sky News.
19. (2021-09-30). "Wayne Couzens Sentencing Remarks". Central Criminal Court.
20. (2021-09-30). "Sarah Everard murder: Wayne Couzens handed whole-life sentence". BBC News.
21. (October 2022). "Court of Appeal: Retirement of Lord Justice Adrian Fulford".
22. {{London Gazette. (11 March 2003)
23. "Our honorary graduates".