Judge attacks \'lax\' immigration policy

A high court judge could face the sack after the Lord Chief Justice ordered an investigation into his attack on Britain\'s immigration system, according to a report on www.voice-online.co.uk.



Judge Ian Trigger stated that there were \"hundreds and hundreds of thousands\" of illegal immigrants abusing the benefits system.



Judge Trigger made the comments when he sentenced Lucien McClearley from Jamaica to two years in jail. The judge told Liverpool Crown Court that illegal immigrants were \"creating an enormous strain on resources\".



\"Your case illustrates all too clearly the completely lax immigration policy that exists in this country. People like you, and there are literally hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people like you, come to these shores from foreign countries to avail themselves of the generous welfare benefits that exist here,\" he said.



Keith Best, chief executive of the Immigration Advisory Service, who originally blasted Judge Trigger\'s comments, said he was \"pleased about the investigation\".



\"It\'s in everybody\'s best interest that he is investigated as his comments were inappropriate as a judge,\" he said.



Lord Judge, the Lord Chief Justice, referred the comments to the Office of Judicial Complaints (OJC) to rule on whether they were too political.



The office will report to the Lord Judge and Jack Straw, the Lord Chancellor, who will make a final decision. If the complaint is upheld he could be reprimanded or even dismissed from his position.



Judge Trigger, who is free to continue hearing cases, was unavailable for comment.



A spokesman for the OJC said: \"He isn\'t planning on commenting.\"



McClearly arrived in Britain in 2001 on a visitor\'s visa. He was arrested the following October after staying beyond the term of the visa but sought asylum and was released while this was pending.



The application was rejected in 2004. However, he was only arrested in February when police found bags of cannabis in his car.



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