New President of Tribunals, Lord Justice Dingemans, appoints Nicholas Lavender to lead Upper Tribunal as Mr Justice Dove steps down
The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary website reported today that the Honourable Mr Justice Lavender has been appointed as the new President of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (IAC) of the Upper Tribunal.
Mr Justice Lavender took up his position yesterday. He takes over from Mr Justice Dove, who served as President of the Upper Tribunal (IAC) from July 2022.
Mr Justice Lavender was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1986. He practised commercial law at Serle Court Chambers, where he built a reputation in high-profile trust and commercial disputes, including landmark cases such as the Weisfisch litigation in the Bahamas, and major banking cases like JP Morgan v Springwell.
He took Silk in 2008, served as a Recorder from 2010 to 2016, and as a Deputy High Court Judge from 2013. Lavender also held the position of Chairman of the Bar Council from 2014 to 2015. In 2016, he was appointed a High Court Judge and assigned to the King's Bench Division, receiving the customary knighthood. From 2019 to 2022, he served as Presiding Judge for the North Eastern Circuit, overseeing judicial administration and leadership in the region.
Mr Justice Lavender was appointed to lead the Upper Tribunal (IAC) by Lord Justice Dingemans, who was yesterday sworn in as the new Senior President of Tribunals.
Lord Justice Dingemans said upon his taking up his new position: "It is a great privilege to be sworn in as Senior President of Tribunals. The tribunals hear cases in matters of great importance to all of us in areas from tax to employment, and immigration and asylum to social security. I very much look forward to working with the judges and members of each Tribunal jurisdiction as we seek to uphold the rule of law, and decide fairly all the disputes which come before the Tribunals."