Picture by Mike Green

Exclusive by Paul Hooper

Canterbury's most outspoken judge has retired – after taking another swipe at Britain’s lawmakers.

Timothy Nash – who has sat at the city’s crown court for 16 years – says he leaves the bench a poorer place.

Judge Nash, 70, has recently hit the headlines accusing officials of adopting a "namby pamby" approach. He said: "Do I think I leave the courts better than when I arrived? No.

"Because we have had a whole raft of rushed-through legislation that no one has thought through. They are often unworkable."

The judge says ASBOs and Sexual Offences Prevention Orders were examples of many court orders which are "just impossible to police".

The judge was criticised by the Court of Appeal for calling three female defendants "over-the-hill slappers".

He smiled: "I think what the woman objected to was being called over-the hill!

"But seriously, I wanted to talk to them with language they understood. It was meant for them, not for everyone else."

The judge added that the one woman who made a formal complaint about him is now back in prison after breaching her licence.

Judge Nash said he was disturbed by the increase in cases where illegal drugs were the root cause of the crimes.

To read more of Judge Timothy Nash's views and his colourful judgements, get your copy of the Kentish Gazette out on Thursday.

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