Education
Singer was educated at, then at Selwyn College, Cambridge.
Singer was educated at, then at Selwyn College, Cambridge.
Singer was a judge in the High Court of Justice, Division, from 1993 to 2010. He now acts as an independent mediator and advocate consultant at Number. 1 Hare Court — his former chambers.
He was a Recorder between 1987 and 1993, and has been a North-East Circuit Liaison Judge since 1993.
He was Chairman of the Law Bar Association between 1990 and 92. Member, Matrimonial Causes Rule Committee 1981-1985.
Senate of Inns of Court and Bar 1983-1986. Law Society Legal Aid Committee 1984-1989.
General Council of the Bar 1990-1992.
Vice-President, European Chapter, International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers 1992-1993. On 15 November 2007 the Court of Appeal gave reasons for having allowed an appeal from Mr Justice Singer"s refusal to recuse himself from hearing a hotly contested matrimonial finance case. The application that he should withdraw from further participation in the matter arose because the judge had made a number of jokes about one of the parties in the case, Sheikh Khalid Ben Abdfullah Rashid Alfawaz.
They included the observations
— That the sheikh could choose “to depart on his flying carpet” to escape paying costs
— That the sheikh should be available to attend hearings “at this relatively fast-free time of the year”
— That he should be in court so that “every grain of sand is sifted”
— And that the sheikh’s evidence was “a bit gelatinous.
. like Turkish Delight”. In his judgment in the Court of Appeal Lord Justice Ward (sitting with Lord Justice Mummery and Lord Justice Wilson) said, of the remarks complained of, that:
In a statement after the judgment, issued on his behalf by the Judicial Communications Office, the judge said: “I wish publicly to apologise to Sheikh Khalid Ben Abdfullah Rashid Alfawaz for these remarks.
My comments were poorly chosen. My judicial work and public speeches clearly demonstrate that I am in no sense racist.
.. I did attempt to arrange for the final hearing to be conducted by one of my colleagues, but the workload on the Division of the High Court and the judicial resources available to us did not permit this if a long postponement of the final hearing was to be avoided.
Clearly though this does not excuse the way I expressed myself”
Joint editor, Rayden on Divorce, 14th Education, 1983. Joint editor, At a Glance, annually, since 1992. Consulting editor, Essential Practice 2000.
He was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1967, and made a member of the Queen"s Bench in 1993, becoming a Queen"s Counsel in 1987.