Judge Malcolm Simmons awarded damages following false allegations
Judge Malcolm Simmons has agreed to accept undisclosed damages from the publishers of two online articles who had falsely accused him of misconduct. The parties have signed a non-disclosure agreement under which we cannot report specific details of the case.
In 2017 the defendants made false allegations of misconduct against Judge Simmons. The defendants alleged Judge Simmons had lied in his CV, that he did not possess the necessary qualifications to be a judge and that he was under investigation for criminal offences. The defendants accept those allegations were false. They have apologised unreservedly to Judge Simmons and agreed to pay undisclosed damages believed to exceed six figures. Judge Simmons has stated the award will be paid to four charities.
Judge Malcolm Simmons served as an international judge from 2004 to 2017. From 2004 to 2008 he was an International Judge of the Court of Bosnia & Herzegovina in Sarajevo. From 2008 to 2017 he was an International Judge of the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo. He presided in war crime and serious organised crime cases. He was a well-respected judge who had an unblemished career on the bench. From 2014 to 2017 he was President of EULEX Judges. Few other international judges serving in EULEX had experience presiding in serious and organised crime cases. Even fewer had war crime experience. In 2016 Judge Simmons was interviewed by a panel of senior judges from two international courts in The Hague and, because of his extensive experience dealing with war crime and serious and organised crime cases, was selected as a judge at an international court.
In 2019 Judge Simmons accepted damages from three newspapers that had posted false online stories.
Judge Malcolm Simmons is one of the most respected criminal judges working in the international community – particularly in matters relating to judicial reform and reform of the administration of justice. He is particularly well-known for his judicial reform work and has more that 19 years experience training judges, prosecutors and lawyers. He has worked in judicial reform projects in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Albania, Croatia, India, Africa, Pakistan and Maldives.
Since 2003 Judge Malcolm Simmons has been a justice expert on the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office list of deployable civilian experts.
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