Bradford’s top judge has vowed the city will remain a leading Court centre, handling major cases.

Judge Roger Thomas QC, who is taking over as the Honorary Recorder of Bradford following the retirement of Judge James Stewart QC, said he wished to maintain the high profile of Bradford Crown Court.

Recently, a number of major Bradford cases have been heard or sent to other court centres, such as Leeds and Sheffield. The murder case of Robert Cordingley, who smothered his 91-year-old father George to death, was last month dealt with at Newcastle Crown Court.

But Judge Thomas, who began sitting in Bradford this week after eight years on the bench at Manchester and Liverpool, said nobody had identified an issue since his arrival.

In an exclusive interview with the Telegraph & Argus, he said: “We have three Circuit Judges at Bradford who are entitled to try Class 1 murder cases. That is as high a ratio for a court of this size as anywhere in the country.”

He said Bradford had a high calibre and class of Circuit Judges, and added that High Court judges had told him that they enjoyed working in Bradford.

Judge Thomas said that the transfer of Huddersfield cases from Bradford to Leeds was to give the latter more work because it was “under capacity” and was no reflection on Bradford.

The judge said: “I can’t think that there is anything to choose between Bradford and Leeds in terms of profile. That is something I wish to maintain. You can be assured I will be working my damnedest to make sure there is no diminution.”

Judge Thomas, 58, a married father-of-three, was born and bred in the West Riding and still lives in West Yorkshire. He was called to the Bar in 1976 and practiced from barrister’s chambers in Bradford for almost three decades, being made a Queen’s Counsel in 2000, before he was appointed as a judge on the Northern Circuit in 2004.

He said the court service was not immune from public spending restrictions, but there was a loyal and committed workforce at Bradford Crown Court.

“Returning to the city after eight years I can’t help but be impressed by the hard work and willingness of those working here.

“If people came to their local courts they would see that sensible, decent things are being done there that are very much part of their community and for the benefit of their community. I would like more people to come and see their justice system in action. It is free and it is interesting.”

Judge Thomas, who was born into three generations of bakers, joked that he had moved slightly along the alphabet when he became a barrister. He said he was committed to working long-term in Bradford.

But he added: “I have not come here to retire, or put my feet up. Far from it. I am here for the future. I have a commitment to Bradford. My father used to say ‘If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right,’ and if I take something on, I will do it properly.”