A DISTRICT judge is under investigation following allegations of misconduct.
The complaint against Michael Wood surrounds claims made by a legal advisor at a County Durham magistrates’ court.
The Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC) confirmed last night that it is investigating claims the 61-year-old behaved inappropriately towards the woman during the course of their work.
Mr Wood has voluntarily stood down from his position while the investigation is carried out.
A spokesman for the OJC said: “The Office for Judicial Complaints has been made aware of a complaint about District Judge Michael Wood’s conduct and is investigating the matter.
“District Judge Wood is not sitting at the present time. He has not been suspended.”
The incident is alleged to have taken place in March, in the corridor of a County Durham magistrates’ court.
Mr Wood is a trained solicitor who became County Durham’s first full-time district judge in June 2004.
He was admitted as a solicitor in July 1975, made a civil deputy district judge in 1993 and served until December 1999.
In 1998, he was appointed as an acting stipendiary magistrate and became a deputy district judge for magistrates’ courts in August 2000 on the unification of the district bench.
A full-time district judge earns £110,000 a year basic salary.
A spokesman for Durham Police said the force was not aware of any criminal inquiry under way.
If the case is not dismissed by the OJC, the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice will consider the evidence and decide what action, if any, is appropriate.
In certain complex cases the matter may be referred to a senior judge for a judicial investigation.
The Northern Echo was last night unable to contact Mr Wood.
The OJC spokesman said: “He does not wish to comment on the investigation being conducted by the Office for Judicial Complaints or on any allegations made against him.”
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