A FOND farewell has been paid to a former Warrington lawyer who has taken early retirement.
Heather Steel, 61, known professionally as Mrs Justice Steel, was given a historic send off alongside fellow High Court judge Ann Ebsworth.
Her career saw her as a member of the Liverpool Bar, a circuit judge in Preston and a member of the criminal committee of the Judicial Studies Board, as well as one of its tutor judges which involved starring in a BBC documentary.
She was recruited to the High Court to take charge of some of the very heavy criminal workload - which included a police corruption case which lasted more than a year - but was keen to have her last sitting on the Liverpool circuit.
Mrs Justice Steel, who when she qualified became the third Steel to be third generation lawyers from Warrington, said: "After nearly 40 years' experience in the criminal courts, I remain totally committed to trial by jury and trial by lay magistrates."
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