A judge has apologised after his late judgment was found to amount to misconduct.
A complaint about Mr Justice Nicholas Francis, who sits in the Family Division, was made after he issued a judgment 18 months after the hearing.
An investigation carried out by a nominated judge found his actions amounted to misconduct.
The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said the judge accepted the finding of the investigation and ‘expressed his regret at the delay’. ‘He explained that at the time he was facing challenging personal circumstances and a busy workload,’ a JCIO spokesperson said.
‘The lady chief justice and the lord chancellor took into consideration the mitigating circumstances and agreed with the recommendation to issue Mr Justice Francis with formal advice.’
The JCIO said: ‘The Guide to Judicial Conduct requires judicial-office-holders to display diligence and care in the discharge of their judicial duties.’
Sanctions for misconduct by judicial office holders are formal advice, formal warning, reprimand, and removal from office.
