'Case dismissed' for Preston's Honorary Recorder, Judge Mark Brown, as he looks forward to his well deserved retirement

Preston's most senior judge is retiring on Friday after five years at the helm of the city’s Crown Courts.
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From the recent United Utilities water scandal that affected thousands of Lancastrians, to the court appeal by disgraced celebrity Rolf Harris, it’s fair to say Judge Mark Brown has seen a lot during his career.

The grandad-of-two, who is the senior circuit and resident judge - and the city's 24th Recorder - will leave the Ringway building for the final time on Friday, bringing an end to his 60 hour working weeks.

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The tradition of having a recorder dates back to 1662, when King Charles II granted a charter making provision for the appointment of a “judge of the town”, who should “solicit and obtain confirmation in the office from the King, his heirs and successors” - all for the princely salary of 105 guineas.

Judge Brown, pictured when he first qualifiedJudge Brown, pictured when he first qualified
Judge Brown, pictured when he first qualified

While the official post ceased in 1971, Preston City Council continued the tradition by appointing Honorary Recorders.

In 2014, the UK judiciary was branded “the most elitist profession in the UK” by a government report.

But while it’s true many judges come from financially or educationally privileged beginnings, the extraordinarily humble beginnings of Judge Brown is somewhat at odds.

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His father, Ronald, was one of six children born to an extremely poor family in Birley Street, Kirkham, in the 1920s. Against all expectations, Ronald and his three brothers were awarded scholarships at Kirkham Grammar School.

The Honorary Recorder of Preston, Judge BrownThe Honorary Recorder of Preston, Judge Brown
The Honorary Recorder of Preston, Judge Brown

Ronald had decided he was going to be a priest at a tender age, and was ridiculed by his classmates. But at 15 he had to leave school as the poor family needed an extra wage.

He became a clerk at Kirkham Hospital, and in 1944 he was called up into the Royal Engineers. It was only after his army release in 1948, and a subsequent period of study at Durham University that his childhood dream of being ordained came true in 1952.

He and his young wife, Joyce, a nurse, moved to St Laurence’s in Chorley where he was the curate.

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The future Recorder of Preston - Laurence Frederick Mark Brown - was born the following year, with the couple obeying the parish’s request for their first born to be named after the church.

Judge Brown, centre, with father Ronald, who would become the Bishop of Birkenhead, mum Joyce and little sister JanetJudge Brown, centre, with father Ronald, who would become the Bishop of Birkenhead, mum Joyce and little sister Janet
Judge Brown, centre, with father Ronald, who would become the Bishop of Birkenhead, mum Joyce and little sister Janet

He was followed by his sister, Janet, and the family soon moved again to Whittle-le-Woods to become involved at St John’s church.

He recalls: “We were very hard up but I had the most wonderful upbringing with the most devoted parents.

“We lived in a big rambling house, almost 200 years old, and it was so cold and damp that we had to sleep in the kitchen in winter.

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“Within three months of moving there I contracted pneumonia and almost died. But I have very fond memories of living there.”

Judge Brown, aged 10, in the church choirJudge Brown, aged 10, in the church choir
Judge Brown, aged 10, in the church choir

At eight, he and his family left for St Thomas’ in Halliwell, Bolton - a stark contrast to the rural backdrop of Whittle-le-Woods at that time.

He says: “It was like Coronation Street land, rows and rows of terraced houses and cobbled streets. But it was a very successful parish, in the top three churches of the Diocese of Manchester.”

Around this time his father went to visit an eccentric local parishioner called Mrs Niblett - rumoured to have “the Sight” - who told him her premonition his son was “going to be one of those bannisters like on the TV.”

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He explains: “ Dad came back with this very funny tale. The very idea of it in those days, in that kind of parish, was like saying you were going to be an astronaut.

“But I had been watching TV shows like Perry Mason and decided I liked the idea of being a lawyer. It must have stuck.”

A young man in an industrial working class Northern town pursuing a law career was so unheard of that another sceptical parishioner made a £5 pact with him.

The keen golfer was the proud winner of the Northern Circuit Carlisle CupThe keen golfer was the proud winner of the Northern Circuit Carlisle Cup
The keen golfer was the proud winner of the Northern Circuit Carlisle Cup

Judge Brown credits his family’s love, help and support for his eventual success - and the loss of that £5, which the woman duly demanded in a letter a few years later!

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He secured a place at Durham University to study law, while his family moved on to parishes in Ashton-under-Lyne, then Chester.

He undertook pupillage in London as part of his training. Around this time he met his wife, Jane, also from a church background, during a college football match - though he remarks neither have played football since!

They went on to have a son, Nicholas.

The young barrister joined the Paper Buildings in Inner Temple, London, and 27 Dale Street in Liverpool alongside the late Dame Ann Ebsworth - the first female judge assigned to the Queen’s Bench Division.

Disappointingly his first ever case, at Middlesex Crown Court, was simply to offer no evidence - but later in his career he would preside over major drugs operations, horrific health and safety breaches, and harrowing murders.

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As his legal career took off, his father was appointed the Bishop of Birkenhead, holding the post until 1992. Sadly, during this time, his mother Joyce’s health declined, and despite her optimism throughout her illness she passed away before she got to see him appointed a judge.

Judge Brown became an assistant Recorder in 1993, a full time Recorder in 1997 and a judge in 2000.

He says: “I knew as soon as I started sitting that this was the right place for me, it became my ambition then to be a full time judge.”

His career has also involved sitting on the Parole Board and the Court of Appeal, where he presided over Rolf Harris’s conviction appeal.

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He says: “Coming out of this terrible crisis the challenge will be to get back to a normal situation - we have really worked extremely hard this last three months to keep the system going.”

Judge Brown is hoping his retirement will mean more time for playing golf, travelling, maintaining his link to the Church, and most importantly, seeing his granddaughters Hannah, six, and Abbey, five.

Due to the pandemic, Judge Brown will be one of the first Recorders of recent times not to have the end of his career marked by a valedictory attended by family and colleagues.

But today his successor, His Honour Judge Robert Altham, paid tribute to his work and said: "Judge Brown has been an outstanding leader of the Judiciary in Lancashire over the last few years and a real asset to the civic life of the county.

"No one could have worked harder or achieved more in furthering the interests of justice in Lancashire."