Stephen Cobb QC appointed a High Court Judge

The Ministry of Justice have announced that Stephen Cobb QC, Joint Head of Chambers at 1 Garden Court, has been appointed a Justice of the High Court.

Stephen Cobb, who won the prize for Family Law QC of the Year at Jordan Publishing's Family Law Awards 2012, has been a specialist family law barrister for over 20 years. Since becoming a QC in 2003 he has specialised in the law relating to children. Stephen has long been regarded as one of the leading Family Law silks and has contributed to the reputation of 1 Garden Court, which also won the Family Law Awards 2012 Chambers of the Year, as one of the foremost family law sets in the country.

In 2010-2011 Stephen Cobb was Chairman of the Family Law Bar Association (FLBA), at a time of significant change for the Family Bar. He led the FLBA through Legal Aid reform, implementation of the Family Advocacy Scheme, and the Family Procedure Rules, coupled with the changes to procedure and culture of family law through the Family Justice Review. During this period, Stephen also led an alliance of family law professionals and charities formed to publicise the impact of the legal aid changes on those members of society most affected.

Commenting on the announcement, Joint Head of Chambers Janet Bazley QC said: "Stephen has been a fantastic asset to Chambers for many years. He will be greatly missed, both professionally and personally, by all of us at 1 Garden Court. We have no doubt that he will be a terrific addition to the Family Division Bench and we wish him well in his judicial career."