Avik judges NTU as “brilliant” step in his career
4 November 2015
Through self-belief and determination, Avik Mukherjee (LLB Hons Laws 1989) has worked his way from humble beginnings to become a full time Judge at Birmingham Crown Court.
His Honour Judge Mukherjee hopes that his story will inspire others and says: “I want other people, who want to go into the law, to know that you don't have to have gone to Oxbridge. I went to a comprehensive school and a brilliant polytechnic - now Nottingham Trent University.”
Avik’s ambition was to be a barrister, but without any connections to anybody working in the field thought his personality and charm might get him through the door!
He heard that 1 High Pavement Chambers was due to open on 1 January 1990, so he went to hand in his CV and a reference from the Crown Prosecution Service where he’d made a good impression on his polytechnic work placement.
His biggest cases have included being the leading prosecution counsel in a triple death crash on the A52 at Ashbourne in 2009, and he defended one of ten people accused of being a member of the Operation Retriever, the largest paedophile gang in the region.”
Michael Auty QC said: "Avik joined chambers shortly after me in 1990. For 25 years he has prosecuted and defended some of the most challenging and complicated cases across the East Midlands. He will grace the Circuit Bench with a hefty dose of compassion, humour, integrity and wit."
Nottingham barrister Steven Coupland, said: "Avik has qualities that will make him a fantastic judge – humility, integrity, common sense and a good sense of humour. This appointment is very well deserved."