Judge wrong to hear case from bed while recovering from surgery, court says

The Royal Courts of Justice in London. Clayton, sitting as a deputy high court judge, was in bed while hearing an optician’s appeal against a finding of serious misconduct. Photograph: Alphotographic/Getty Images

A judge was wrong to hear a case from his bed via video link while recovering from surgery, the court of appeal has said.

Richard Clayton KC, sitting as a deputy high court judge, heard an optician’s appeal against a finding of serious misconduct from bed the day after returning from hospital where he had undergone an operation for a ruptured achilles tendon.