Education
He was educated at Framlingham College and King"s College London (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws) and was called to the Bar at Inner Temple in 1968 where he became a bencher in 1993.
He was educated at Framlingham College and King"s College London (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws) and was called to the Bar at Inner Temple in 1968 where he became a bencher in 1993.
He retired from both positions on 17th September 2015. By 1976 Sullivan was Counsel for the Department of Environment"s M25 motorway public inquiry Other clients he represented included the London Borough Councils of Hammersmith and Haringey as well as the Attorney General. While he has worked closely with Harry Woolf in matters of Planning Law.
By 1979 his Court of Appeal work included advocating the legalizing of uncompleted development work.
Sullivan was made a Queen's Counsel in 1982, recorder from 1989-1997, deputy judge of the High Court from 1993-1997, and judge of the High Court of Justice (Queen"s Bench Division) 1997–2009. Between 1994 and 1997 he served as attorney-general to the Prince of Wales.
As a judge, Sullivan presided over the 2006 Afghan hijackers case, ruling that it was unlawful under the 1971 Immigration Acting to restrict the Highjackers" leave to remain in the United Kingdom, and ordered that they be granted "discretionary leave to remain", which entitled them to work in the United Kingdom. His rulings include the February 2007 judgment that the government"s 2006 Energy Review had been "misleading" and "unlawful" in its handling of the United Kingdom nuclear energy debate.