Cleaner scandal judge keeps job

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/london/7415253.stm

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An immigration judge who had an affair with his cleaner will not lose his job for illegally employing her, the Office for Judicial Complaints has said.

Judge Mohammed Ilyas Khan showed "poor judgment" by employing Roselane Driza without checking her immigration status, the watchdog's inquiry found.

A woman judge known as Judge J, who jointly employed Miss Driza, from south London, was also criticised.

But the investigation is not being pursued due to Judge Khan's ill health.

Brazilian Miss Driza, of South Norwood, was accused of blackmailing Judge J and stealing intimate videos from Judge Khan, 61.

She was convicted of blackmail and theft and jailed in 2006 but she was later cleared of blackmailing Judge Khan, with whom she had an affair.

Giving the decision in the case Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, said: "They demonstrated poor judgment in offering paid work to Ms Driza, without being assured of her immigration status.

"We have informed both of them that in our view their decision to engage Ms Driza in these circumstances was ill judged, particularly in the light of the jurisdiction within which they both worked."

He added: "We will not pursue any further detailed enquiries into this matter given that Mr Khan continues to suffer from ill health and Judge J no longer holds judicial appointment."