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Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales

Head of the judiciary of England and Wales

Field	Value
post	Lady Chief Justice
body	England and Wales
insignia	Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, lesser arms).svg
insigniasize	115px
insigniacaption	The Judiciary of England and Wales
department	Judiciary of England and Wales
image	Dame Sue Carr 2022.jpg
incumbent	The Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill
incumbentsince	1 October 2023
style	The Right Honourable
nominator	Judicial Appointments Commission
appointer	Monarch of the United Kingdom,
on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor
termlength	Mandatory retirement at age 75
formation	29 November 1880
deputy	Master of the Rolls
salary	£294,821
website

on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor

The Lord or Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary of England and Wales and the president of the courts of England and Wales.

Until 2005 the lord chief justice was the second-most senior judge of the English and Welsh courts, surpassed by the lord chancellor, who normally sat in the highest court. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 changed the roles of judges, creating the position of President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and altering the duties of the lord chief justice and the lord chancellor. The lord chief justice ordinarily serves as president of the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal and head of criminal justice, meaning its technical processes within the legal domain, but under the 2005 Act can appoint another judge to these positions. The lord chancellor became a purely executive office, with no judicial role.

The equivalent in Scotland is the Lord President of the Court of Session, who also holds the post of Lord Justice-General in the High Court of Justiciary. The equivalent in Northern Ireland is the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, local successor to the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland of the pre-Partition era.

Sue Carr, Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, has been Lady Chief Justice since October 2023. She is the first female holder of the office.

History

Originally, each of the three high common law courts, the King's Bench, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Court of the Exchequer, had its own chief justice: the Lord Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and the Chief Baron of the Exchequer. The Court of the King's (or Queen's) Bench had existed since 1234. In 1268 the first chief justice of the King's Bench was appointed. From the time of Edward Coke in the early 17th century, the chief justice became known informally as "lord chief justice". It was only in 1875 that it became the statutory title.

The three courts became divisions of the High Court in 1875 (though the head of each court continued in post). Following the deaths of Lord Chief Justice Sir Alexander Cockburn and Chief Baron Sir Fitzroy Kelly in 1880, the three divisions were merged into a single division, with Lord Coleridge, the last Chief Justice of Common Pleas, as Lord Chief Justice of England.

The suffix "and Wales", now found in statutes and elsewhere, was first appended to the title by Lord Bingham of Cornhill in 1998.

Constitutional Reform Act 2005

The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (CRA) made the Lord Chief Justice the president of the Courts of England and Wales, vesting the office with many of the powers formerly held by the Lord Chancellor. While the Lord Chief Justice retains the role of President of the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal, the CRA separated the role of President of the King's Bench Division; the changed chief justice role was first held by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers. The CRA provides that the chief justice is chosen by a specially appointed committee convened by the Judicial Appointments Commission.

Modification of title from Lord to Lady

Upon the announcement of the appointment on 15 June 2023 of Dame Sue Carr, it was highly anticipated that the title would be modified from Lord to Lady, in line with Dame Siobhan Keegan's 2021 appointment as Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland. This speculation was further confirmed in news closer to Carr's appointment, on 27 September 2023 that Carr had chosen the title of Lady Chief Justice. When Carr took office she was sworn as Lady Chief Justice, for the first time in the role's history since its inception.

Roles and responsibilities

The lord chief justice has more than 400 individual statutory responsibilities specified in the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. While they sit as a judge on important criminal, civil and family cases, including appeal cases, they also have a wide range of administrative responsibilities. As president of the Courts of England and Wales, they are responsible for representing the opinions of the judiciary to government, overseeing their welfare and training and allocating work amongst them. With the Lord Chancellor, they are responsible for the handling of complaints against judges through the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office. They are also president of the Sentencing Council, and Magistrates' Association and chair the Judicial Executive Board, and Judges' Council.

Lord chief justices of the King's (Queen's) Bench, to 1880

Portrait	Lord chief justice	From	Until	Notes
	William de Raley
	Sir Stephen de Segrave
	William of York
	Henry of Bath
	Sir Gilbert of Seagrave
	Henry of Bath
	Sir William of Wilton
	Nicholas de Turri
	Sir Robert de Briwes
	Richard of Staines
	Martin of Littlebury
[[Image:Ralph de Hengham.jpg	75px]]	Ralph de Hengham
	Gilbert de Thornton
	Sir Roger Brabazon
	Sir William Inge
	Sir Henry le Scrope
	Hervey de Stanton
	Sir Geoffrey le Scrope
	Sir Robert de Malberthorp
	Sir Henry le Scrope
	Sir Geoffrey le Scrope
	Sir Richard de Willoughby
	Sir Geoffrey le Scrope
	Sir Richard de Willoughby
	Sir Geoffrey le Scrope
	Sir Richard de Willoughby
	Sir Robert Parning
	Sir William Scott
	Sir William de Thorpe
	Sir William de Shareshull
	Sir Henry Green
	Sir John Knyvet
	Sir John de Cavendish			Murdered in the Peasants' Revolt
	Sir Robert Tresilian
	Sir Walter Clopton
	Sir William Gascoigne
	Sir William Hankford
	Sir William Cheyne
	Sir John Juyn
	Sir John Hody
[[Image:Portrait of Sir John Fortescue (1663) by William Faithorne - cropped.jpg	75px]]	Sir John Fortescue
	Sir John Markham
	Sir Thomas Billing
	Sir William Hussey
	Sir John Fineux
	Sir John FitzJames
[[Image:SirEdwardMontagu.jpg	75px]]	Sir Edward Montagu
	Sir Richard Lyster
	Sir Roger Cholmeley
[[Image:Wroxeter St Andrews - Effigy of Thomas Bromley.JPG	75px]]	Sir Thomas Bromley
	Sir William Portman
	Sir Edward Saunders
	Sir Robert Catlyn
[[Image:SirChristopherWrayColour.jpg	75px]]	Sir Christopher Wray
[[Image:SirJohnPopham.jpg	75px]]	Sir John Popham
[[Image:Sir Thomas Fleming by Marcus Gheeraerts.jpg	75px]]	Sir Thomas Fleming
[[Image:Marcus the Younger Gheeraerts - Edward Coke Lord Chief Justice.jpg	75px]]	Sir Edward Coke
[[Image:Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester by Francis Delaram.jpg	75px]]	Sir Henry Montagu
[[Image:James Ley, 1st Earl of Marlborough.jpg	75px]]	Sir James Ley
[[Image:Sir Randall Crewe LCJ.jpg	75px]]	Sir Ranulph Crewe
[[Image:Portrait of Lord Chief Justice Nicholas Hyde.jpg	75px]]	Sir Nicholas Hyde
[[Image:Portrait supposedly of Sir Thomas Richardson (d.1635), Lord Chief Justice, but wrong heraldry 2.jpg	75px]]	Sir Thomas Richardson		†	Died in office
[[Image:John Bramston attrib Peter Lely.jpg	75px]]	Sir John Bramston
[[Image:Sir Robert Heath LCJ.jpg	75px]]	Sir Robert Heath
[[Image:HenryRolle.jpg	75px]]	Sir Henry Rolle
[[Image:John Glynne (1602-1666), by follower of Sir Peter Lely.jpg	75px]]	John Glynne			Knighted in 1660
	Sir Richard Newdigate
	Sir Robert Foster		†	First Chief Justice after the Restoration; died in office
[[Image:Sir Robert Hyde LCJ.jpg	75px]]	Sir Robert Hyde		†	Died in office
[[Image:John Keeling after JM Wright.jpg	75px]]	Sir John Kelynge		†	Died in office
[[Image:Matthew Hale by JM Wright Guildhall.jpg	75px]]	Sir Matthew Hale			Formerly Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer 1660–1671
[[File:Sir Richard Rainsford by Gerard Soest.jpg	75px]]	Sir Richard Raynsford
[[Image:Sir William Scroggs by John Michael Wright.jpg	75px]]	Sir William Scroggs
[[Image:Sir Francis Pemberton(1624-1697).jpg	75px]]	Sir Francis Pemberton			Later Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in 1683
	Sir Edmund Saunders			Died in office
[[File:George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem by William Wolfgang Claret.jpg	75px]]	Sir George Jeffreys
(Baron Jeffreys from 1685)	nowrap		nowrap		Lord Chancellor 1685–1688
	Sir Edward Herbert			Later Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1687–1689
[[Image:SirRobertWright.jpg	75px]]	Sir Robert Wright			Briefly Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in April 1687
[[Image:Sir John Holt by Richard Van Bleeck.jpg	75px]]	Sir John Holt		†	Died in office
[[Image:Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.jpg	75px]]	Sir Thomas Parker
(Lord Parker from 1714)			Regent of Great Britain from 1 August to 18 September 1714; later Lord Chancellor 1718–1725, created Earl of Macclesfield in 1721; impeached for corruption in 1725
[[Image:Sir John Pratt by Michael Dahl.jpg	75px]]	Sir John Pratt			Interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1721
[[File:Robert Raymond, 1st Baron Raymond.jpg	75px]]	Sir Robert Raymond
(Baron Raymond from 1731)		†	Previously Attorney General 1720–1724; died in office
[[Image:Philip Lord Hardwicke after Michael Dahl.jpg	75px]]	Philip Yorke, 1st Baron Hardwicke			Previously Attorney General 1724–1733; later Lord Chancellor 1737–1756 and created Earl of Hardwicke in 1754
[[File:Sir William Lee by C.F. Barker.jpg	75px]]	Sir William Lee		†	Interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1754; died in office
[[File:Sirdudleyryder (cropped).jpg	75px]]	Sir Dudley Ryder		†	Previously Attorney General 1737–1754; died in office
[[Image:William Murray, Earl of Mansfield LCJ.jpg	75px]]	William Murray, 1st Baron Mansfield
(Earl of Mansfield from 1776)			Previously Attorney General 1754–1756; Lord Speaker in 1783
[[File:After Sir Martin Archer Shee (1769-1850) - Lloyd, First Baron Kenyon (1732-1802) - RCIN 401359 - Royal Collection.jpg	75px]]	Lloyd Kenyon, 1st Baron Kenyon		†	Previously Attorney General 1782–1783 1783–1784 and Master of the Rolls 1784–1788; died in office
[[Image:Lord-ellenborough.jpg	75px]]	Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough			Previously Attorney General 1801–1802; interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1806
[[Image:Lord Tenterden LCJ by William Owen.jpg	75px]]	Sir Charles Abbott
(Baron Tenterden from 1827)		†	Interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1827; died in office
[[Image:Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman by Sir Martin Archer Shee crop.jpg	75px]]	Sir Thomas Denman
(Baron Denman from 1834)			Previously Attorney General 1830–1832; interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1834
[[File:Judge Campbell, Chief Justice of England.jpg	75px]]	John Campbell, 1st Baron Campbell			Previously Attorney General 1834 and 1835–1841; briefly Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1841; later Lord Chancellor 1859–1861
[[Image:Sir Alexander Cockburn LCJ by GF Watts.jpg	75px]]	Sir Alexander Cockburn, 12th Baronet		†	Previously Attorney General 1851–1852, 1852–1856 and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1856–1859; Courts of the Queen's Bench, Common Pleas, and Exchequer became divisions of a unified High Court in 1875; died in office

Lord (or Lady when the holder is female) chief justices of England (later England and Wales) 1880–present

Portrait	Lord chief justice	From	Until	Notes
[[Image:Lord Coleridge LCJ by EU Eddis.JPG	75px]]	John Coleridge, 1st Baron Coleridge	nowrap		†	Previously Attorney General 1871–1873 and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1873–1880; died in office
[[Image:Charles Lord Russell LCJ by JD Penrose.png	75px]]	Charles Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen		†	Previously Attorney General 1886 1892–1894 and a law lord in 1894; first Catholic Lord Chief Justice; died in office
[[Image:Portrait of Richard Webster, 1st Viscount Alverstone.jpg	75px]]	Richard Webster, 1st Baron Alverstone			Previously Attorney-General 1885–1886 1886–1892 1895–1900 and Master of the Rolls in 1900; in retirement, created Viscount Alverstone in 1913
[[Image:Sir Rufus Isaacs GGBain.jpg	75px]]	Sir Rufus Isaacs
(Baron Reading from 1914,
Viscount Reading from 1916,
Earl of Reading from 1917)			Previously Attorney General 1910–1913; later Viceroy of India 1921–1925 and created Marquess of Reading in 1926; first Jewish Lord Chief Justice
[[Image:1stLordTrevethin.jpg	75px]]	Sir Alfred Lawrence
(Baron Trevethin from August 1921)
[[Image:Gordon Hewart LCJ by John Lander.jpg	75px]]	Sir Gordon Hewart
(Baron Hewart from 24 March 1922)			Previously Attorney General 1919–1922; in retirement, created Viscount Hewart in 1940
[[Image:Thomas Inskip.jpg	75px]]	Thomas Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote			Previously Attorney General 1928–1929 and 1932–1936 and Lord Chancellor 1939–1940
	Rayner Goddard, Baron Goddard			Previously a law lord from 1944
	Hubert Parker, Baron Parker of Waddington
	John Widgery, Baron Widgery
	Geoffrey Lane, Baron Lane			Previously a law lord from 1979
	Peter Taylor, Baron Taylor of Gosforth
[[Image:Thomas Bingham, Baron Bingham of Cornhill (cropped).jpg	75px]]	Thomas Bingham, Baron Bingham of Cornhill			First Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales; Master of the Rolls 1992–1996; Senior Law Lord 2000–2008;
[[Image:Official portrait of Lord Woolf 2020 crop 2.jpg	75px]]	Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf		nowrap		Previously a law lord from 1992; Master of the Rolls from 1996 to 2000
[[Image:Official portrait of Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers crop 2.jpg	75px]]	Nick Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers			Previously a law lord from 1999; Master of the Rolls 2000–2005; later Senior Law Lord 2008–2009 and President of the Supreme Court 2009–2012
[[Image:Official portrait of Lord Judge crop 2, 2019.jpg	75px]]	Igor Judge, Baron Judge			Previously Deputy Chief Justice of England and Wales 2003–2005
[[Image:Official portrait of Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd crop 2, 2022.jpg	75px]]	John Thomas, Baron Thomas of Cwmgiedd
[[File:Official portrait of Lord Burnett of Maldon crop 2.jpg	75px]]	Ian Burnett, Baron Burnett of Maldon
[[File:Dame Sue Carr 2022 (cropped).jpg	75px]]	Sue Carr, Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill	1 October 2023	Incumbent	The first Lady Chief Justice since the role's inception in the 13th century.

Hereditary peerages created for the Lord Chief Justice

+ Since the Act of Union 1707
! Lord Chief Justice !! Title !! Created !! Current status
-
} --

Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield/Baron Parker – extant
Robert Raymond, 1st Baron Raymond – extinct 1756
Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke/Baron Hardwicke – extant
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield/Earl of Mansfield/Baron Mansfield – extant
Lloyd Kenyon, 1st Baron Kenyon – extant
Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough – extant
Charles Abbott, 1st Baron Tenterden – extinct 1939
Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman – extant
Rufus Isaacs, 1st Earl of Reading/Viscount Reading/Baron Reading – extant, held by the Marquess of Reading
Alfred Lawrence, 1st Baron Trevethin – extant, held by the Baron Trevethin and Oaksey
Gordon Hewart, 1st Baron Hewart – extinct 1964

References

(14 July 2017). "Appointment of new Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales". United Kingdom Government.
(1 April 2023). "Judicial Salaries of His Majesty's Ministry of Justice".
Hymas, Charles. (26 September 2023). "Britain's most senior judge to be called Lady Chief Justice". The Telegraph.
Harriss, G. L.. (2005). "Shaping the Nation: England 1360–1461". Clarendon Press.
Turner, Ralph V.. (1977). "The Origins of Common Pleas and King's Bench". Temple University.
Smith, Richard A.. (2015). "The Oxford Companion to British History". Oxford University Press.
Smith, Richard A.. (2015). "The Oxford Companion to British History". Oxford University Press.
The Lord Burnett of Maldon. (14 November 2019). "What's in a Name? The High Court and its Divisions".
(16 July 2010). "Lord Chief Justice Judge". Aberystwyth University.
Hymas, Charles. (2023-09-26). "Britain's most senior judge to be called Lady Chief Justice". The Telegraph.
"Lord Chief Justice". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary.

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