Judge Anthony Geoffrey Younghusband Thorpe has presided over many high-profile cases since becoming the resident judge at Chichester Crown Court.

The father of two served as a captain on board the Ark Royal before joining the legal profession. Since taking the post in 2000 he has run his courtroom with a well-mannered Naval precision.

His no-nonsense and occasionally outspoken approach has won plaudits from many quarters, including the Campaign Against Political Correctness.

But it is for his comments concerning crimes connected with racism for which he has most frequently made headlines.

Earlier this year, he wrote a personal letter to The Times expressing his disgust after being ordered to reduce a jail sentence he gave to Algerian Kamel Kadri, whose car hit schoolboy Callum "CJ" Oakford in a hit and run smash.

Judge Thorpe went beyond his sentencing powers when he jailed Kadri, 39.

He said: "Had you left the country when you should have done, and not stayed on as an illegal immigrant, you would not have been driving that untaxed, uninsured car that had no current MOT on January 1, 2004, and that young child would still be alive."

Three months earlier Judge Thorpe admitted causing "enormous offence to Palestinians" after stopping a racial harassment trial on the grounds there was no such nation as Palestine.

The judge ruled he has seen no evidence Palestine was recognised as a bona-fide nation.

The judge's hard-line against racism was evidenced when he sentenced a self-confessed racist and supporter of the British National Party to the maximum 12 years for a firebomb attack on an Asian family.

He said: "Ethnic minority groups rightly look to the courts for protection from the vile and despicable hatred that is peddled by racist bigots."