The appointment of a new circuit judge for Ipswich Crown Court has been welcomed as an opportunity to “bulldoze” through the backlog of cases at the court.

Welcoming Judge David Wilson on his first day sitting as a judge at the court, the resident judge Martyn Levett said his appointment brought the number of full-time judges sitting at the court to four.

“This is an amazing opportunity to bulldoze through the Ipswich Crown Court backlog of cases caused mainly by the pandemic,” said the judge.

The new judge was officially welcomed by Judge Levett in the presence of fellow judges, members of the legal profession and court staff on Monday ( October 30).

Judge Wilson, who is married and has two children, studied law at the University of East Anglia and started his career as a criminal barrister at East Anglian Chambers in 1997 before moving to Red Lion Chambers.

He was appointed as a Tribunal Judge in 2019, a District Judge (Magistrate’s Court) in 2021, and as a Recorder in 2022.

Earlier this month Judge Levett said there were a total of 700 cases in the court’s backlog but there were signs of it being reduced.