Linda Dobbs

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Dame Linda Penelope Dobbs, DBE (born 3 January 1951), styled The Honourable Mrs Justice Dobbs, was the first non-white person to be appointed a judge of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales, a post to which she was appointed in September 2004. She has worked as a barrister in both prosecution and defence and was called to the bar in 1981.

At the time of the appointment Dobbs said: "It is a great honour to have been invited by the Lord Chancellor to become a High Court judge ... [w]hilst this appointment might be seen as casting me into the role of standard bearer, I am simply a practitioner following a career path. I am confident, nevertheless, that I am the first of many to come."

In September 2003, Dobbs was appointed as chairman of the Criminal Bar Association but has stepped down following her decision to work on the High Court bench.

Dobbs has published books and articles on road traffic law and her main areas of work include white collar crime, Customs and Excise cases and serious sexual offences.

She has since been appointed as chairman of the Magisterial Committee of the Judicial Studies Board.