The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word UMPIRED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
U
M
P
I
R
E
D
More clues leading to the result UMPIRED
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Was judge" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case was judge = umpired.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does UMPIRED mean?
UMPIRED verb- To act as an umpire in a game.
- To decide as an umpire.