Judge James Pickles (born 18 March 1925) is a former British judge, now a tabloid columnist.
Pickles' career as a judge was highly controversial, and his judgements often made headline news, resulting in calls for judges to be retired before they reached senility. His most notorious case involved giving a lenient sentence to a rapist on the grounds that the victim had "asked for it". He also courted controversy by publically suggesting that young women might become pregnant between arrest and sentencing as a means of avoiding a prison sentence. He retired in 1990. In addition to his tabloid journalism work, he has also written several novels and autobiographical books, including "Off the Record", "Judge for Yourself", and "Straight from the Bench".
He is the nephew of radio presenter Wilfred Pickles. His daughter, Carolyn Pickles, is an actress, recently appearing in "Emmerdale" on television.
