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JCIO 64/25
Date: 15 January 2026
A spokesperson for the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said:
Mr Justice Keehan, with the Lord Chancellor’s agreement, has issued Mr Mark Lenderyou JP, of the Greater Manchester Local Justice Area, with formal advice for misconduct.
Facts
The declaration and undertaking signed by all magistrates on their appointment states that they will be circumspect in their conduct and maintain the good reputation of the magistracy at all times, in their private, working, and public lives.
A complaint was made by an officer of the court in relation to Mr Lenderyou’s conduct at a hearing. The complainant stated that Mr Lenderyou had initially asked them to slow down their speech so that he could take a note of the hearing, and they subsequently made conscious attempts to slow down. The complainant alleged that Mr Lenderyou then made gestures, whispered to the chairperson, and shouted at the complainant “Slow down. I’ve had enough — I’ve told you ten times”. The complainant reported feeling humiliated and tearful as a result of the incident.
This matter was dealt with, by consent under the expedited process in the Judicial Conduct (Magistrates) Rules 2023. The expedited process enables the JCIO to advise the Lord Chancellor and the Lady Chief Justice that a magistrate should be issued with formal advice or a formal warning where—
(a) there is no dispute as to the facts set out in the complaint;
(b) the alleged facts relate to conduct which the JCIO considers that the Lord Chancellor and the Lady Chief Justice would be very likely to decide amounted to misconduct; and
(c) the JCIO considers that the Lord Chancellor and the Lady Chief Justice would be very likely to decide that formal advice or a formal warning was the appropriate disciplinary sanction.
Mark Lenderyou JP’s representations
Mr Lenderyou accepted that he had behaved unprofessionally and apologised for any distress his actions may have caused. He explained that certain personal factors affected his ability to take notes quickly during the hearing, which contributed to his behaviour on the day.
Decision
Mr Justice Keehan, on behalf of the Lady Chief Justice, and the Lord Chancellor agreed with advice from the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office that Mr Lenderyou had failed to act with circumspection and that his actions risked reputational damage to the magistracy. In deciding to issue Mr Lenderyou with formal advice, they took into consideration his acceptance of responsibility, his apology and the absence of any previous findings of misconduct.
Sanctions for misconduct by judicial office-holders are set out in the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. They are, in order of severity: formal advice, formal warning, reprimand and removal from office.
For more information about the Office, including details on how to make a complaint against a judicial office holder, you can visit the JCIO website at: Judicial Conduct Investigations website
