THE senior coroner for Bradford has been given a second formal warning for misconduct after he was said to have deliberately prevented a colleague from taking part in meetings.

Martin Fleming received a formal warning in 2021 after shouting during a telephone conversation with the same person.

Mr  Fleming was issued with the second reprimand this month by The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office after a complaint was made by a court manager he worked with.

The coroner was found to have deliberately excluded the coroner’s court manager from contributing to operational meetings and decisions. He was also found to have failed to allow the coroner’s court manager a fob to access the building which “hindered the delivery of her duties”.

Two allegations made against Fleming were disproven.

The investigating judge said  Mr Fleming was a hardworking, conscientious coroner who had invested time in improving the performance of the court and who was respected and admired by assistant coroners who knew his conduct and manner well. 

Mr Fleming also showed some genuine insight and remorse as to the unintended consequences of his behaviour, said the judge.

Mr Fleming, who denied the majority of the allegations, believed the complainant’s role “was non-operational thus it did not warrant a consistent level of contact with him, and a day pass to the building would be sufficient for her working purposes".

A Judicial Conduct Investigations Office spokesperson said: ‘The misconduct was found to be prolonged and aggravated by the fact that it was a second offence against the same person. Mr Fleming was found to be in breach of his obligation to be courteous, patient and respectful of the complainant’s dignity.’

A reprimand was recommended as the appropriate sanction. The Lady Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor decided the lesser sanction of a formal warning was more appropriate.

The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office spokesperson added: ‘The key factors in this decision was that no misconduct was found for bullying and an absence of any malevolence.

"They also took into consideration the coroner’s genuine insight and remorse for the unintended consequences of his behaviour.’

The Guide to Judicial Conduct reminds judges to be courteous, patient, tolerant and respectful of the dignity of all.

Sanctions for misconduct by judicial office holders are set out in the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. They are formal advice, formal warning, reprimand and removal from office.