It has been 20 years since district judge Peter Glover started work and while the world has changed, his role of helping the public has stayed the same.

Judge Glover, 60, works at Dartford County Court and Family Court and celebrated two decades of serving the public on Friday.

In his role, the father-of-three deals with issues such as family disputes over the custody of children or financial rows regarding debt whether it is non-payment of rent or other bills.

He meets people when they are at their most vulnerable, angry, frustrated and more, and is often the last resort to resolve a dispute.

It is a responsibility he does not take lightly, and one he describes as a privilege.

When he first became a district judge John Major was Prime Minister, Blur and Oasis were battling it out in the charts and Forrest Gump won the Academy Award for Best Film.

It seems a long time since 1995 but Judge Glover said the pressure on people was perpetual and as a district judge you must empathise with that.

He said: “The problems that people have in dealing with their debt and their relationships and all the pressures that modern society places on the public, is never-ending.

“As a judge in a district court you have to be prepared to deal with the public, day in and day out.”

Judge Glover, who is also a published writer, contributing numerous works to the Legal Press and other publications, will often see people during the most stressful periods of their lives.

A lot of his judgments can be distressing for those on the receiving end and, he said, while it could be hard to see, it was all part of the job.

He said: “You can’t take your work home with you, but you know that your decision impacts people and your decision causes unhappiness so you have to have confidence in your judgement. It’s a difficult exercise but that is what we do.”

Formerly a solicitor, Judge Glover has sat almost exclusively at Dartford, which is in Home Gardens, for the past 16 years. He previously split his time working at county courts in Bromley, Croydon and Maidstone after moving from West Sussex where he was a solicitor.

He said the decision to become a district judge just felt like the “natural progression”.

He said: “It has been a challenging but endlessly fascinating job and I have really enjoyed working and living in Dartford.

“The town and its citizens, particularly those unemployed or earning low wages or with health problems, have their problems,but it has been my privilege over the last 20 years to work with others. such as Dartford council’s housing officers, to try to find solutions which avoid, for example, evictions.”

Judge Glover will now be cutting down to a part-time role but will not be letting his 20-year achievement pass without some sort of celebration.

He said: “I’m taking my staff out for a Chinese. They’re smashing people and without them I wouldn’t be able to last 20 minutes let alone 20 years.”