The judge who ruled asylum seekers can continue to be housed at an Essex hotel has been reported to the judiciary amid claims of 'apparent bias' over his links to left-wing organisation.
Lord Justice Bean delivered Friday's landmark Court of Appeal ruling, which meant an initial injunction preventing the Bell Hotel in Epping Forest from housing migrants was no longer valid.
Lord Justice Bean, sitting with two other judges, said the initial judge made 'a number of errors in principle'. It represented a victory for the Home Office, who can continue to use hotels to house asylum seekers, despite concerns from local councils and protests from communities.
But a leading barrister has referred the senior judge to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO), which deals with discipline, amid claims of potential conflicts of interest.
Lord Justice Bean was chairman of the socialist Fabian Society from 1989 to 1990 which works very closely with Labour.
