On the day after the sixth anniversary of his installation as Bailiff, Sir Richard announced his intention to officially step down on Bank Holiday Monday, 31 August.
His request to retire, having reached the age of 65, was submitted to the Lt-Governor Sir Richard Cripwell and has been approved by the King.
Sir Richard was appointed Deputy Bailiff in 2012 before succeeding Sir Richard Collas as Bailiff during the Covid lockdown in May 2020.
He was knighted in the King’s Birthday Honours in 2023.
He said at the time of his appointment that becoming the island’s lead citizen was ‘almost beyond my dreams’.
‘It is the highest honour to which I could possibly have aspired.’
Sir Richard moved to the island in 1995 to further his law career after a stint lecturing law at Reading University, while maintaining a general common law practice at the English Bar.
After moving to Guernsey he worked as a legislative draftsman, and was called to the Guernsey Bar in 1998. In 2000 he was appointed as crown advocate and director of civil litigation, though for a while he left the Royal Court and St James’ Chambers to take on a senior external relations brief for the States, as external relations policy and legal adviser.
In 2009 he was appointed Her Majesty’s Comptroller and Queen’s Counsel.
Sir Richard was on duty for the ceremonial events of Liberation Day on Saturday, joining the parade and inspection along with Lt-Governor Sir Richard Cripwell.
His six-year term of office is similar to that of his immediate predecessors. Since the retirement of Sir Charles Frossard in 1992, no Bailiff has served in office shorter than six years or longer than eight.
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