And so, to a packed Court 4 of the Royal Courts of Justice to say farewell to the master of the rolls – or, as the lady chief justice revealed, ‘our very own Duracell bunny’. Yes, Sir Geoffrey Vos was stepping down from the bench to spend more time with his Herefordshire farm.
At the valedictory hearing alongside Lady Carr and Sir Geoffrey were three other full-bottomed wigs, belonging to the presidents of the Business and Property Division and Family Division, and the senior president of tribunals. Predictably, the papyrophobic head of civil justice was the only one equipped with a computer.
Paying tribute to Sir Geoffrey’s stellar career, Lady Carr noted several qualities apart from his energy. At prep school, apparently he earned the nickname ‘Bossy Vossy’. At the bar, he was known for his quick wit, the lady chief justice noted: ‘When leaving court one day with his successful opponent, one Christopher Nugee, Geoffrey turned to Christopher and said: “I have a donkey outside”. In response to Mr Nugee’s bewildered expression, Mr Vos remarked: “You can talk the hind legs off that as well”.’
As for the man himself, his speech of thanks included several revelations. ‘If I had my time again, I would have read science rather than law at university,’ he said. ‘I would have done a PhD rather than coming straight to the bar; I would probably even have taken silk a bit later, and certainly stayed on as a first instance judge for another few years, before seeking appointment to the CA.’
His warm tributes to colleagues concluded with some words to ‘lord chancellors and justice ministers past and present’: ‘We have not agreed about everything, but I have much enjoyed our sparky relationships over so many years.’
We think we can guess who he means.
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