Judges fired for watching porn at work

Three judges have been fired for watching pornographic material on court computers, the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office has announced.

District Judge Timothy Bowles, Immigration Judge Warren Grant and Deputy District Judge and Recorder Peter Bullock have all been removed from judicial office following an investigation that found they had viewed pornography in their offices.

A fourth judge, Recorder Andrew Maw, was also found to have viewed explicit content on his computer, but resigned before the disciplinary process ended, the BBC reports.

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The Lord Chief Justice and the Lord Chancellor said they were "satisfied that the material did not include images of children or any other illegal content."

However, the pair said that it was an "inexcusable misuse" of their official accounts and "wholly unacceptable conduct for a judicial office holder".

"There's no suggestion at all that the judges have done anything illegal, it is a question of conduct," said The BBC's legal correspondent Clive Coleman.

The three judges are not believed to be linked in any way, and the incidents all took place at different times and places.

The judges would no longer be allowed to work in judicial roles, according to a JCIO spokesperson, who said: "As far as I'm aware the judges are not appealing the decision."