Sir Nicholas Richard Maybury Hilliard (born 1 May 1959)^[1] is a British judge who was the Recorder of London, an ancient and senior legal post at the Old Bailey, and before that Common Serjeant of London, the Recorder's second. He was appointed to that office in May 2013. From 6 January 2015 he was Recorder of London, the senior judge at the Old Bailey.^[2] In October 2019 it was announced that was to be appointed as a judge of the High Court of Justice. He took up that appointment on 19 November 2019 ^[3] ceasing to be Recorder of London.

Hilliard was educated at Bradfield College in Berkshire, and Lincoln College, Oxford. He was Called to the Bar in 1981, and was appointed as a Bencher of the Middle Temple in 2003.^[4]

In 1995 Hilliard was appointed Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court and served in that capacity until 2008 when he was appointed Senior Treasury Counsel. In 2001 he was appointed as a recorder of the Crown Court and in 2003 became a Master of the Bench at the Middle Temple. Hilliard was Chairman of the Criminal Bar Association from 2005 to 2006. Hilliard was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2008.^[5][6] In that year he led the prosecution of the murderers of Ben Kinsella.

Hilliard is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers.^[10]

• The Recorder of London, Nicholas Hilliard QC thanked Paul Cheston for his commitment to open justice and said he was an exemplar for court reporting.