The Judge is in fact the Senior Presiding Judge for the Midlands Circuit. To military types a when a High Court Judge is appointed, after the 'first tour' they are often appointed as a Presiding Judge of one of the Circuits. This a 4 year tour. 2 as Junior Presiding High Court Judges, followed by 2 as the Senior Presiding HCJ. The senior presiding HCJ has both great power and great responsibilities. Amongst other powers is the power to choose which cases they will sit on.
Before appointment as a High Court Judge she was Queens Counsel specialising in professional negligence and product liability.
I suspect that when she posted herself to Lincoln, she did so to take personal charge over what was expected to be a three week very high profile trial, with potential far reaching consequences, especially if MB's defence was that a large part,if not all, the fault lay with the MoD.
She would have been fully aware of all the nuances arising in this case.
However the decision of MB to enter as plea of guilty may not merely have caused admin problems for those who organise her lists, but now requires her to decide what financial penalty must be imposed on this very highly respected company and what observations she must make when sentencing.
Rather her than me.