His Hon. Judge Brian John Barker, QC (born 1945) is a British judge and the current Common Serjeant of London, the second most senior judge at the Old Bailey.
Barker was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1969[1][2] and was a leading criminal barrister excelling as a prosecutor and a defender. He served as Chairman of the Criminal Bar Association. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1990,[2] and was appointed a circuit judge at the Old Bailey in 2000.[1][3]
Barker was appointed as the 79th holder of the post of Common Serjeant of London (the second most senior judge at the Old Bailey) in 2005, succeeding Judge Peter Beaumont QC.[1][4] He has since presided over trials including those of Umran Javed, the murderers of Jody Dobrowski,[5] the murder trial of rapper 'Crazy Titch', aka Carl Dobson, and the murder of Ben Kinsella.
Barker is married to Dame Anne Rafferty QC, one of the United Kingdom's few female High Court judges,[6] with whom he has three daughters. Another daughter, who had Down's syndrome, died aged two.[7]
He lists his hobbies as golf and sheep rearing. Barker is a Governor of Sir John Cass's Foundation, one of London's oldest and largest education charities, which was founded in 1748.[8] Barker is a Freeman of the City of London, and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Coopers serving on the Court of Assistants.
On 18 September 2008 Barker was questioned by the police after knocking a cyclist off his bicycle outside the Old Bailey.[9][10]