A judge has apologised to counsel for making a sexist comment, the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office revealed this week.

In a statement yesterday, the JCIO said the lord chief justice, with the lord chancellor’s agreement, issued Deputy Insolvencies and Companies Court judge Daniel Schaffer with formal advice for making a sexist comment to counsel.

‘In reaching their decision, they considered the judge’s long and previously unblemished record of service, that he accepted responsibility for his actions, and that he had apologised to counsel,’ the JCIO spokesperson said.

The statement provides no other details about the incident.

The JCIO is an independent statutory body that supports the lord chancellor and lord chief justice int their responsibilities for judicial discipline. Its statutory remit is to deal with complaints of personal behaviour and cannot accept complaints about a judge’s decision or case management.