Igor Judge, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, recently presided over Prize Day at St Edward’s College Middle and Senior School and International IB.

In a light-hearted address to prizewinners, their parents and guests, Lord Judge reminisced on the days as a youngster boarding at St Edward’s College soon after the end of World War II when Malta was still recovering from the ravages of war and things, including food, were in short supply.

Commenting on the resilience and courage of that generation of Maltese, he emphasised this same trait in the present generation, which is now producing successful economic results.

Lord Judge told the prizewinners that they should be proud of winning prizes. What they must not do is to be pompous about it. Prizes should be accompanied by due modesty.

He reminded prizewinners that there will be times when they were not being congratulated and praised, quite the contrary.

It is in these times that they must remember their school motto Virtus et Honor and act accordingly by being civil to those around them.

Lord Judge was Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales and Head of the Judiciary of England and Wales between 2008 and 2013. He was born in Malta in 1941 to Raymond and Rosa Judge, née Micallef. An Old Edwardian, he was at St Edward’s College between 1947 and 1954 when the family moved to England and Igor Judge attended the Oratory School.

On leaving the Oratory in 1959, he went to Magdalene College Cambridge to read history and law and was called to the Bar in 1963 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1976. In 1988 Lord Judge was appointed a High Court Judge and knighted.

He was appointed the first president of the Queen’s Bench Division in 2005. Baron Judge was made an honorary member of the National Order of Merit of Malta in 2008.