Judge of the Royal Court

John Russell Finch
Russell Finch was born and bought up in England and educated at Southern Grammar School for Boys, Portsmouth.

On leaving school he read law at Queen Mary College, University of London.

On graduating with an honours degree he was an articled clerk to the Clerk to the Justices, Fareham and Gosport Magistrates` Court and was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court in 1974.

He gained wide experience in a range of duties at Aylesbury Magistrates` Court and, from 1979, with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in London, dealing with all types of serious crime in England and Wales. On the creation of the Crown Prosecution Service was promoted to Senior Principal (Legal). From 1986 to 1988 he was head Prosecutor for Clerkenwell and Thames Magistrate's Courts.

In 1988 he was recruited as a criminal law specialist by the Office of the Law Officers in Guernsey. Following completion of the Guernsey Bar exams and studies at the University of Caen securing the requisite Certificate d'Etudes Juridiques Francaises et Normandes, he was admitted as an Advocate of the Royal Court in 1993 and promoted to Crown Advocate in 1994.

In 1997 he was appointed as a full time Magistrate, which includes Coroner`s duties, and promoted as a Lieutenant Bailiff in 2001.

In 2005 the Royal Court created the style of address of 'Judge of the Royal Court' in anticipation of legislation creating that office. Russell Finch was appointed as the first Judge of the Royal Court. The style was accredited statutory approbation in 2009.

Russell Finch is a keen historian and undertook an Open University course, being awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996 and a Master of Arts at Sheppard Hallam University in 2004

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (1999).

He has for many years been a member of the Guernsey Chess team.