Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
| Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales |
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.svg) The Judiciary of England and Wales |
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| Style | The Right Honourable |
| Nominator | Judicial Appointments Commission |
| Appointer | UK Monarch on recommendation of Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor, who are in turn given recommendations by a selection panel. |
| Formation | 1 November 1875 |
| This article is part of the series: Courts of England and Wales |
| Law of England and Wales |
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Criminal courts
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Legal profession
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The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but became the top judge as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, which removed the judicial functions from the office of Lord Chancellor and altered the duties of the Lord Chief Justice and changed the relationship between the two offices. The Lord Chief Justice is also the presiding judge of the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal.
The Lord Chief Justice's 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 current Lord Chief Justice is Lord Judge, who took over the role on 1 October 2008 following the promotion of Lord Phillips to the position of Senior Law Lord. In Lord Judge's case, Judge is his family's coincidental surname, not an affectation or title. He has announced he will retire at the end of September 2013, with a selection exercise to determine his successor set to begin "in early 2013".[1]
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History [edit]
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, Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, and Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer. Although the Court of the King's (or Queen's) Bench had existed since 1234, the title of chief justice was not used until 1268. In the intermediary period, one of the justices would be considered the senior judge, and hold a position similar to that later held by the chief justice. The three courts became divisions of the High Court in 1875, and following the deaths of the Lord Chief Justice and Lord Chief Baron, the Chief Justice of Common Pleas creating a single Lord Chief Justice of England.
The suffix "and Wales", now found in statutes and elsewhere, was unilaterally appended by Lord Bingham between 1996 and 2000. There is also a Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.
Constitutional Reform Act 2005 [edit]
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 Queen's Bench Division. The first Lord Chief Justice to act as head of the judiciary under the provisions of the CRA was Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers. The CRA also provides that the Lord Chief Justice is chosen by a specially appointed committee convened by the Judicial Appointments Commission.
Lord Chief Justices of England, King's (Queen's) Bench, to 1875 [edit]
| Chief Justice | From | Until | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| William de Raley | 1234 | 1239 | |
| Sir Stephen de Segrave | 1239 | 1241 | |
| William of York | 1241 | 1247 | |
| Henry of Bath | 1249 | 1251 | |
| Sir Gilbert of Seagrave | 1251 | 1253 | |
| Henry of Bath | 1253 | 1260 | |
| Sir William of Wilton | 1261 | 1263 | |
| Nicholas de Turri | 1265 | 1267 | |
| Sir Robert de Briwes | 1268 | 6 November 1269 | |
| Richard of Staines | 6 November 1269 | 1273 | |
| Martin of Littlebury | 1273 | 1274 | |
| Ralph de Hengham | 1274 | 1290 | |
| Gilbert de Thornton | 1290 | 1296 | |
| Sir Roger le Brabazon | 1296 | March 1316 | |
| Sir William Inge | March 1316 | 15 June 1317 | |
| Sir Henry le Scrope | 15 June 1317 | September 1323 | |
| Hervey de Stanton | September 1323 | 21 March 1324 | |
| Sir Geoffrey le Scrope | 21 March 1324 | 1 May 1329 | |
| Sir Robert de Malberthorp | 1 May 1329 | 28 October 1329 | |
| Sir Henry le Scrope | 28 October 1329 | 19 December 1330 | |
| Sir Geoffrey le Scrope | 19 December 1330 | 28 March 1332 | |
| Sir Richard de Willoughby | 28 March 1332 | 20 September 1332 | |
| Sir Geoffrey le Scrope | 20 September 1332 | 10 September 1333 | |
| Sir Richard de Willoughby | 10 September 1333 | 1337 | |
| Sir Geoffrey le Scrope | 1337 | October 1338 | |
| Sir Richard de Willoughby | October 1338 | 21 July 1340 | |
| Sir Robert Parning | 21 July 1340 | 8 January 1341 | |
| Sir William Scott | 8 January 1341 | 26 November 1346 | |
| Sir William de Thorpe | 26 November 1346 | 26 October 1350 | |
| Sir William de Shareshull | 26 October 1350 | 24 May 1361 | |
| Sir Henry Green | 24 May 1361 | 29 October 1365 | |
| Sir John Knyvet | 29 October 1365 | 15 July 1372 | |
| Sir John de Cavendish | 15 July 1372 | 14 June 1381 | murdered in the Peasants' Revolt |
| Sir Robert Tresilian | 22 June 1381 | 17 November 1387 | |
| Sir Walter de Cloptone | 31 January 1388 | 21 October 1400 | |
| Sir William Gascoigne | 15 November 1400 | 29 March 1413 | |
| Sir William Hankeford | 29 March 1413 | 12 December 1423 | |
| Sir William Cheyne | 21 January 1424 | 20 January 1439 | |
| Sir John Juyn | 20 January 1439 | 24 March 1440 | |
| Sir John Hody | 13 April 1440 | 25 January 1442 | |
| Sir John Fortescue | 25 January 1442 | 13 May 1461 | |
| Sir John Markham | 13 May 1461 | 23 January 1469 | |
| Sir Thomas Billing | 23 January 1469 | 5 May 1481 | |
| Sir William Hussey | 7 May 1481 | 8 September 1495 | |
| Sir John Fineux | 24 November 1495 | 23 January 1526 | |
| Sir John Fitz-James | 23 January 1526 | 21 January 1539 | |
| Sir Edward Montagu | 21 January 1539 | 9 November 1545 | |
| Sir Richard Lyster | 9 November 1545 | 21 March 1552 | |
| Sir Roger Cholmeley | 21 March 1552 | 4 October 1553 | |
| Sir Thomas Bromley | 4 October 1553 | 11 June 1555 | |
| Sir William Portman | 11 June 1555 | 8 May 1557 | |
| Sir Edward Saunders | 8 May 1557 | 22 January 1559 | |
| Sir Robert Catlyn | 22 January 1559 | 8 November 1574 | |
| Sir Christopher Wray | 8 November 1574 | 2 June 1592 | |
| Sir John Popham | 2 June 1592 | 25 June 1607 | |
| Sir Thomas Fleming | 25 June 1607 | 25 October 1613 | |
| Sir Edward Coke | 25 October 1613 | 16 November 1616 | |
| Sir Henry Montagu | 16 November 1616 | 29 January 1621 | |
| Sir James Ley | 29 January 1621 | 26 January 1625 | |
| Sir Ranulph Crewe | 26 January 1625 | 5 February 1627 | |
| Sir Nicholas Hyde | 5 February 1627 | 24 October 1631 | |
| Sir Thomas Richardson | 24 October 1631 | 4 February 1635 | died in office |
| Sir John Brampston | 14 April 1635 | 31 October 1642 | |
| Sir Robert Heath | 31 October 1642 | October 1645 | |
| Sir Henry Rolle | 12 October 1648 | 15 June 1655 | |
| John Glynne | 15 June 1655 | 17 January 1660 | Knighted in 1660 |
| Sir Richard Newdigate | 17 January 1660 | 1 October 1660 | |
| Sir Robert Foster | 21 October 1660 | 4 October 1663 | First Chief Justice after the Restoration; died in office |
| Sir Robert Hyde | 19 October 1663 | 1 May 1665 | Died in office |
| Sir John Kelynge | 21 November 1665 | 9 May 1671 | Died in office |
| Sir Matthew Hale | 18 May 1671 | 20 February 1676 | Formerly Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer 1660–1671 |
| Sir Richard Raynsford | 12 April 1676 | 31 May 1678 | |
| Sir William Scroggs | 31 May 1678 | 11 April 1681 | |
| Sir Francis Pemberton | 11 April 1681 | 28 September 1683 | Later Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in 1683 |
| Sir George Jeffreys | 28 September 1683 | 23 October 1685 | Baron Jefffreys 1685; Lord Chancellor 1685–1688 |
| Sir Edward Herbert | 23 October 1685 | 22 April 1687 | Later Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1687–1689 |
| Sir Robert Wright | 22 April 1687 | 17 April 1689 | Briefly Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in April 1687 |
| Sir John Holt | 17 April 1689 | 5 March 1710 | Died in office |
| Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield | 11 March 1710 | 15 May 1718 | Baron Parker from 1714; Regent of Great Britain from 1 August to 18 September 1714; later Lord Chancellor 1718–1725 and Earl of Macclesfield from 1721; impeached for corruption in 1725 |
| Sir John Pratt | 15 May 1718 | 24 February 1725 | Interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1721 |
| Robert Raymond, 1st Baron Raymond | 2 March 1725 | 31 October 1733 | Previously Attorney General 1720–1724; Baron Raymond from 1731; died in office |
| Philip Yorke, 1st Baron Hardwicke | 31 October 1733 | 8 June 1737 | Previously Attorney General 1724–1733; Baron Hardwicke from 1733; later Lord Chancellor 1737–1756 and Earl of Hardwicke from 1754 |
| Sir William Lee | 8 June 1737 | 8 April 1754 | Interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1754; died in office |
| Sir Dudley Ryder | 2 May 1754 | 25 May 1756 | Previously Attorney General 1737–1754; died in office |
| William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield | 8 November 1756 | 4 June 1788 | Previously Attorney General 1754–1756; Baron Mansfield from 1756; Earl of Mansfield from 1776; Lord Speaker in 1783 |
| Lloyd Kenyon, 1st Baron Kenyon | 4 June 1788 | 4 April 1802 | Previously Attorney General 1782–1783 1783–1784 and Master of the Rolls 1784–1788; Baron Kenyon from 1788; died in office |
| Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough | 11 April 1802 | 2 November 1818 | Previously Attorney General 1801–1802; Baron Ellenborough from 1802 |
| Charles Abbott, 1st Baron Tenterden | 2 November 1818 | 4 November 1832 | Baron Tenterden from 1827; interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1827; died in office |
| Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman | 4 November 1832 | 5 March 1850 | Previously Attorney General 1830–1832; Baron Denman from 1834; interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1834 |
| John Campbell, 1st Baron Campbell of St Andrews | 5 March 1850 | 24 June 1859 | Previously Attorney General 1834 and 1835–1841; ennobled as Baron Campbell when Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1841; later Lord Chancellor 1859–1861 |
| Sir Alexander Cockburn, Bt | 24 June 1859 | 1 November 1875 | Knighted 1850; previously Attorney General 1851–1852 1852–1856 and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1856–1859; 12th Baronet from 1858; Queen Victoria refused to make him a peer in 1864 as "this peerage has been more than once previously refused upon the ground of the notoriously bad moral character of the Chief Justice" |
Lord Chief Justices of England (later England and Wales) 1875–present [edit]
| Lord Chief Justice | From | Until | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Alexander Cockburn, Bt | 1 November 1875 | 20 November 1880 | died in office |
| John Coleridge, 1st Baron Coleridge | 29 November 1880 | 14 June 1894 | Previously Attorney General 1871–1873 and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1873–1880; Baron Coleridge from 1874; died in office |
| Lord Russell of Killowen | 11 July 1894 | 10 August 1900 | Previously Attorney General 1886 1892–1894; Baron Russell of Killowen from 1894; first Catholic Lord Chief Justice; died in office |
| Richard Webster, 1st Viscount Alverstone | 24 October 1900 | 21 October 1913 | Previously Attorney-General 1885–1886 1886–1892 1895–1900 and Master of the Rolls in 1900; Baron Alverstone from 1900; in retirement, Viscount Alverstone from 1913 |
| Rufus Isaacs, 1st Earl of Reading | 21 October 1913 | 8 March 1921 | Previously Attorney General 1910–1913; Baron Reading from 1914; Viscount Reading from 1916; Earl of Reading from 1917; later Viceroy of India 1921–1925 and Marquess of Reading from 1926; first Jewish Lord Chief Justice |
| Alfred Lawrence, 1st Baron Trevethin | 15 April 1921 | 2 March 1922 | Baron Trevethin from August 1921 |
| Gordon Hewart, Baron Hewart | 8 March 1922 | 12 October 1940 | Previously Attorney General 1919–1922; Baron Hewart from 1922; in retirement Viscount Hewart from 1940 |
| Thomas Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote | 14 October 1940 | 23 January 1946 | Previously Attorney General 1928–1929 and 1932–1936 and Lord Chancellor 1939–1940; Viscount Caldecote from 1939 |
| Rayner Goddard, Baron Goddard | 23 January 1946 | 29 September 1958 | Previously a law lord, Baron Goddard, from 1944 |
| Hubert Parker, Baron Parker of Waddington | 29 September 1958 | 20 April 1971 | Baron Parker of Waddington from 1958 |
| John Widgery, Baron Widgery | 20 April 1971 | 15 April 1980 | Baron Widgery from 1971 |
| Geoffrey Lane, Baron Lane | 15 April 1980 | 27 April 1992 | Previously a law lord, Baron Lane, from 1979 |
| Peter Taylor, Baron Taylor of Gosforth | 27 April 1992 | 4 June 1996 | Baron Taylor of Gosforth from 1992 |
| Tom Bingham, Baron Bingham of Cornhill | 4 June 1996 | 6 June 2000 | Baron Bingham of Cornhill from 1996; first Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales; Master of the Rolls 1992–1996; Senior Law Lord 2000–2008; |
| Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf | 6 June 2000 | 30 September 2005 | Previously a law lord, Baron Woolf, from 1992; Master of the Rolls from 1996–2000 |
| Nicholas Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers | 30 September 2005 | 1 October 2008 | Previously a law lord, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers, from 1999; Master of the Rolls 2000–2005; later Senior Law Lord 2008–2009 and President of the Supreme Court 2009–2012 |
| Igor Judge, Baron Judge | 1 October 2008 | Incumbent |
References [edit]
- ^ "Lord Judge, Lord Chief Justice, to Retire Next Summer" (Press release). Judiciary of England and Wales. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
Bibliography [edit]
- Campbell, John (1874), Lives of the Chief Justices of England, in four volumes (two additional volumes were a "Continuation by Sir Joseph Arnould – Late Judge of the High Court of Bombay"), 3rd ed. London, John Murray 1874.
