A solicitor who began his career as an articled clerk at international firm Herbert Smith (now Herbert Smith Freehills) has been appointed to one of the six judicial commissioner posts at the Judicial Appointments Commission. The Honourable Mr Justice Adam Johnson will sit as a commissioner for three years. 

Johnson has been a High Court judge, assigned to the Chancery Division, since 2020. He joined the judiciary in 2018 after 32 years in practice as a solicitor. He was admitted in 1990 and took silk in 2017. 

Adam Johnson

The Honourable Mr Justice Adam Johnson

As a solicitor, he specialised in commercial and chancery litigation, and international arbitration. 

Johnson replaces the previous High Court commissioner, Mrs Justice Sarah Falk, who was also a solicitor. 

The JAC said its current board includes four other members with solicitor backgrounds: judges Greg Sinfield, Christa Christensen and Mathu Akosan and Sarah Lee, professional solicitor member).

However Johnson's appointment will raise hopes that the JAC will find a way to increase the representation of solicitor judges, especially in the senior judiciary. Latest diversity statistics show that, overall, 31% of court judges and 63% of tribunal judges were from non-barrister backgrounds. However, in the High Court and above only 5% of current judges are non-barristers. The proportion with a non-barrister background is lower than in 2014.

Law Society president Lubna Shuja said she was delighted by the appointment. 'In his role, he will be able to ensure the skills solicitors can bring to the judiciary are understood.'

 Shuja noted that last year solicitors made up nearly half of judicial candidates but only a quarter of recommendations. 'This is extremely disappointing as solicitors have a wide range of transferable skills that would be of use in the judiciary.'

 

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