Lord Justice Nicholas Pumfrey has died, the Judicial Communications Office said yesterday. He was 56.
The senior judge, the youngest and most recently appointed Lord Justice of Appeal, had a sudden stroke at home in the early hours of Christmas Eve.
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.
The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, said he was deeply saddened to hear of Sir Nicholas's death.
He said: "The thoughts of all members of the judiciary are with his family."
The Master of the Rolls, Sir Anthony Clarke, spoke of his shock upon learning of the death. He 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's funeral service will be held at the Temple Church in central London on January 14.
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