John Saunders (English judge)

Sir John Henry Boulton Saunders (born 15 March 1949), styled The Hon. Mr Justice Saunders, is an English judge and former barrister who is currently a High Court Judge of the Queen's Bench Division.

Saunders was called to the bar in 1972 and acted as a prosecutor for the Department of Health and Social Security throughout the 1980s. He was a Recorder between 1990–2004 and became a Queen's Counsel in 1991.

In 2004, Saunders was appointed a full-time circuit judge as well as taking the honorary appointment of Recorder of Birmingham (the most senior judge at Birmingham Crown Court) and in April 2007 was elevated to the High Court bench and received the customary knighthood.

In 2010–11, Saunders became known as the judge who presided over the trials and sentencing of several former MPs and peers in connection with the Parliamentary expenses scandal. He gave the judgment at first instance which was affirmed in both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in R v Chaytor and passed sentences in excess of 12 months' imprisonment on MPs David Chaytor,Elliot Morley,Jim Devine and Eric Illsley and on Tory peers Lord Taylor of Warwick and Lord Hanningfield. During these cases he was noted for strongly criticising the leaders of all three major parties for attacking the defendant MPs' use of legal aid and attempted reliance upon Parliamentary privilege during the 2010 election campaign, and for requiring Lord Sugar to remove a tweet commenting on the ongoing proceedings.

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