Paul Burns, Chair of local transformation and regeneration Group Torus, has been appointed by The Queen to be a Circuit Judge.

Paul was appointed Chair of the Torus Board in January this year having previously held the position of Vice Chair since the organisation’s amalgamation in January 2019, which created the region’s largest affordable homes provider.

‘His Honour Judge Burns’

Circuit judges are judges in England and Wales who sit in the civil, criminal or family jurisdictions.

The appointment was made on the advice of the Lord Chancellor, the Right Honourable Dominic Raab MP and the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, the Right Honourable The Lord Burnett of Maldon.

The Lord Chief Justice has deployed Paul to the Midlands Circuit, based at Walsall County Court with effect from 1 August 2022.

As a result of his appointment, Paul Burns will now be known as His Honour Judge Burns.

‘fantastic achievement’

Steve Coffey, Group CEO, Torus, said:

“We congratulate His Honour Judge Burns on such a fantastic achievement and thank him for his invaluable contribution to the development of our organisation. His Torus colleagues and I wish him all the very best in his new appointment.”

Following the departure of His Honour Judge Burns from Torus, the current Vice Chair, Graham Burgess, has been appointed as the Chair of the organisation with immediate effect.