Buckinghamshire magistrate reprimanded for serious misconduct over Facebook posts

The magistrate had previously been backed by a local Labour MP during his campaign for election to Buckinghamshire Council

A Buckinghamshire magistrate who was publicly backed by a Labour MP during his campaign for election to Buckinghamshire Council has been reprimanded for serious misconduct over Facebook posts concerning Jewish people and Israel.

Ansar Gulzar, a magistrate on the Buckinghamshire Bench, was disciplined following an investigation into four posts published between June 2025 and January 2026.

The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) found that the posts expressed views on highly controversial political matters and had the potential to cause emotional harm and undermine public confidence in the judiciary.

Mr Gulzar previously stood as a Labour candidate in Aylesbury South West at the May 2025 Buckinghamshire Council elections, receiving 413 votes but failing to secure a seat.

He was publicly backed by Aylesbury MP Laura Kyrke-Smith during the election campaign.

In a Facebook post on March 25, 2025, Ms Kyrke-Smith described Mr Gulzar and fellow candidate Tanya Warshaw as “fantastic” and encouraged residents to support them.

She wrote: “There’s loads of work I would love to be able to do with Labour councillors if they are elected in May, so please do consider lending us your support.”

The disciplinary investigation followed a complaint by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), which raised concerns about posts it considered antisemitic and incompatible with the impartiality expected of a magistrate.

Among the posts highlighted by UKLFI was one published on 2 October 2025, following the terrorist attack at a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur in which two Jewish people were killed.

Mr Gulzar wrote: “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of Manchester. Every life matters. Question bothering me is why there is always an attack on a Jewish person when Israel wants to divert media attention?”

Another suggested Americans were slaves to Israel, according to UKLFI.

The JCIO found that Mr Gulzar’s posts were publicly viewable and that his Facebook and LinkedIn accounts referred to his judicial office, contrary to guidance.

Mr Gulzar accepted responsibility for publishing the four posts but said he believed they could only be seen by family and friends and were intended for general discussion.

He disputed the translation or interpretation of one post and acknowledged that he should have been more careful with his choice of words.

The investigation concluded that the posts formed a course of conduct rather than isolated incidents and amounted to serious misconduct.

Mr Justice Keehan, acting on behalf of the Lady Chief Justice and with the agreement of the Lord Chancellor, issued Mr Gulzar with a formal reprimand on September 30.

UKLFI welcomed the decision, saying judicial office-holders must command the confidence of everyone appearing before them, including Jewish people and those connected with Israel.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Antisemitism is abhorrent and has no place in our society. We take all complaints extremely seriously, and investigate them in line with our rules and procedures.”

It is understood Mr Gulzar has been suspended from the Labour Party pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

Ms Kyrke-Smith said: “Whilst I can’t comment on individual disciplinary cases, I am absolutely clear that antisemitism has no place in the Labour Party or in our communities. I will continue my work with colleagues in Parliament and elsewhere to stamp out this scourge from society.”

Mr Gulzar was contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.