Lord Justice Pumfrey, a senior intellectual property judge, has died at the age of 56 - just one month after he was promoted to the Court of Appeal.

He died at home on Christmas Eve following a stroke, the Judicial Communications Office said today.

Sir Anthony Clarke, the Master of the Rolls, said: “Besides being a life-enhancing character, he was a great expert in the world of patents and intellectual property and was on the verge of contributing to the life of the Court of Appeal in many different areas.”

Sir Nicholas studied physics and law at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, before being

called to the Bar in 1975. He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1990 and was made a Bencher of Middle Temple in 1998.

He became a High Court judge and was knighted in 1997. He was promoted to the

Court of Appeal in November.

Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers ,The Lord Chief Justice, said: “The thoughts of all members of the judiciary are with his family at this difficult time.”

To read The Times obituary, click here.

Explore Law

• Corporate Law

• Public Law

• Columnists

• Law Panel

• Student Law

• Law Reports

Times Recommends

• Hacker in final plea to stop extradition
• Lawyers? They're simply riveting . . .
• Companies slash legal spending