Gary Hickinbottom

Sir Gary Robert Hickinbottom (born 22 December 1955), styled The Hon. Mr Justice Hickinbottom, is a British judge. In 2008, he became the fourth solicitor to be appointed a High Court judge, after Michael Sachs in 1993, Lawrence Collins in 2000, and Henry Hodge in 2004.

He was admitted as a solicitor in 1981, and later became a partner at McKenna & Co (now part of CMS Cameron McKenna). He became a recorder in 1994 and then a circuit judge in 2001. He became Chief Social Security Commissioner and Child Support Commissioner in 2003, and Chief Pension Appeal Commissioner. He has also sat as a deputy High Court judge.

On 16 July 2007, sitting as a deputy High Court Judge, he upheld an application for judicial review against the decision to slaughter Shambo, a sacred black Friesian bull at the Hindu Skanda Vale Temple near Llanpumsaint in Wales which tested positive for bovine tuberculosis, holding that the Welsh government had failed to carry out the balancing exercise required by Article 9 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (freedom of religion). His ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeal one week later, and the bull was slaughtered within days.

Hickinbottom's appointment as a High Court judge was announced in September 2008, with his assignment to the Queen's Bench Division.

Sir Gary was knighted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on 20 February 2009.

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