Sir Michael John Burton (born 12 November 1946), styled Mr Justice Burton, is a former
judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
in the
High Court of England and Wales. He was the President of the
Investigatory Powers Tribunal between October 2013 and September 2018, having been vice-president since its inception in 2000, the Chair of the Central Arbitration Committee for over 17 years (2000 to 2017) and the former President of the
Employment Appeal Tribunal (2002–2005), which was reformed under his presidency.
He was educated at
Eton College and
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...
.
Prior to his judicial appointment, in 1998, he was head of Littleton Chambers (1991–1998). He was appointed
KC in 1984.
Until January 2011 Burton was Chairman of the High Court Judges Association and served as Treasurer of
Gray's Inn in 2012.
He was appointed
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in the
2019 Birthday Honours
The 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as ...
.
Sir Michael is the figurehead of the
Investigatory Powers Tribunal since its
inception in 2000 and has played a pivotal role in the UK's world-leading oversight of
its security and intelligence agencies. He has ruled on landmark cases that have had a considerable
impact on the landscape of investigatory powers. He has adapted the Tribunal to
deal with new, wide-ranging counter-terrorism powers and to ensure that it is
working within the law.
He is a widower with four daughters and ten grandchildren. He founded the Corinne Burton Memorial Trust in 1992 in
memory of his late wife, and for the past 26 years the Trust has funded art therapy for
cancer patients as well as providing support for students wanting to pursue this field. Most notably, he has set up a scholarship fund at
Goldsmiths College, London
University which is awarded every year to a student who wishes to study art
psychotherapy with a focus on cancer care. As Chair of the Trust, he maintains an active role in its funding projects, outreach activities and strategic direction.
BIRTHDAY HONOURS 2019 – HIGH AWARDS
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burton, Michael
1946 births
Living people
People educated at Eton College
Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford
Queen's Bench Division judges
Knights Bachelor
British King's Counsel
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
21st-century English judges