Judge Tan Ikram is somewhat of a judicial and political controversy. He is noted for what some might call inconsistent sentencing examples of which are the gaoling of a former police officer for dark humour about dead criminal George Floyd and similar stuff on a social media platform whilst letting go with not even a slap on the wrist two women who walked through London displaying patches on their clothing that showed support for the Hamas terror organisation. He’s also playing the role of a modern day Judge Jefferies, the Government’s favoured judicial enforcer. Judge Ikram rather than being the judicial hammer that James II used Jefferies for in order to quell the spirit of rebellion, is instead being used by the government as the Judge in charge when cases that challenge the Government’s narrative appear and like Jefferies is a tool to quell rebellion against the government.

Judge Ikram has often been on the bench when those who are accused of offending narratives or targeting those whom the Establishment dislikes or who have stuck their head above the political parapet, have come before the court. Judge Ikram has in addition to the cases above of letting off two women Hamas supporters despite support for Hamas being a crime in the United Kingdom, gaoling a police officer for the abovementioned joke about George Floyd and the remand into custody awaiting trial of Danny Tommo of Patriot Platform for slashing an empty migrant boat, also let off a young woman for throwing a drink over Nigel Farage. Judge Ikram has in addition been pulled up by commentators and others for making and liking political statements that in my view, coupled with some of his questionable decisions make me have some doubts as to whether Judge Ikram is an entirely impartial judge.

But there’s more to Judge Ikram than what I have written above. The investigative journalist Stephen Edginton has uncovered more that is troubling about Judge Ikram, much much more.

Apparently Judge Ikram has been on a bit of a mission to recruit Pakistani lawyers to become judges. He’s also been hobnobbing with a group that called Suella Bravaman’s comments about Pakistani Muslim Rape Gangs in Britain ‘reprehensible’. This group was not criticising the crimes that these rape gangs commit but merely Ms Bravaman’s condemnation of these gangs. Some lovely company Judge Ikram is keeping there.

Mr Edginton said:

“One of the country’s most controversial judges is an adviser to a Pakistani organisation that described Suella Braverman’s comments about British-Pakistani grooming gangs as “reprehensible”, an investigation by this Substack has found.

I can also reveal that Tan Ikram, the deputy chief magistrate of England and Wales, travelled to Bradford specifically to encourage Pakistani lawyers to join the bench.

His rulings have repeatedly drawn criticism, with his recent refusal of bail to anti-immigration campaigner Danny Tommo bringing renewed attention to his record.

Ikram, a senior diversity judge who helps edit judicial guidance on race and cultural differences, told a Pakistani legal organisation that he had worked to reach “Muslim Pakistani background lawyers” and encourage them to become judges.

“Bradford is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the UK. [There are] lots and lots and lots of Pakistani practitioners in practice in that area, and I specifically went there to reach out to that particular group of lawyers,” he told Women in Law Initiative Pakistan on 15 July 2024.”

Whilst I have nothing against lawyers being promoted to the Bench on the grounds of merit I suspect that anyone who has Judge Ikram’s support might be promoted not on merit but on identity grounds. I base my suspicion on Judge Ikram’s prior conduct.

I’d strongly advise readers to go and read the entirety of Mr Edginton’s pieces as they are a detailed exposure of this modern day Judge Jefferies. I’ll therefore keep the excerpts of his pieces on here brief.

Mr Edginton added:

He is listed as an adviser to the British Pakistan Foundation, which criticised Braverman’s comments about what it called “so-called ‘grooming gangs’” and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The group also shared a petition calling for Suella Braverman to be removed from parliament.

He’s got some lovely (not) friends hasn’t he that Judge Ikram? His association with such a group has Mr Edginton said been criticised by survivors of Islamic Rape Gangs.

Judge Ikram because of his record, those he chooses to associate with and his clear loyalty to an ideology, that of DEI and sectarian Pakistani issues, is not someone I would trust on the bench. I’ve met dozens of Judges in my life and even when you got to meet them socially it was rare that they expressed any loud or controversial political view. Yes some were known to be tougher than others on this or that crime, their politics was not reflected in their conduct on the bench. I cannot say that about Judge Ikram as he clearly has ideological leanings and they seem to be coming out in his judgements. He’s a judge who many Britons are not comfortable with because of his apparent willingness to mix the law with ideology. The Reform Party’s Shadow Chancellor Robert Jenrick has openly called for Judge Ikram’s dismissal and on that subject I find myself in agreement. Whilst we do not have separation of powers in the UK it is still a distasteful thing to have a judge like Judge Ikram sitting on the bench being nakedly political in his decisions.

Links

Original piece by Mr Edginton

https://www.stevenedginton.com/p/we-need-you-inside-tan-ikrams-mission

Tweet on this issue by Mr Edginton

https://x.com/StevenEdginton/status/2105308504605053390

Robert Jenrick calls for Judge Ikram to be sacked

https://x.com/RobertJenrick/status/2103528885635956984

Spectator Australia on the corruption of Justice and Judge Ikram

https://www.spectator.com.au/2024/02/tan-ikram-and-the-corruption-of-the-justice-system/