Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales

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.<ref name=Hymas>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Court of the King's (or Queen's) Bench had existed since 1234.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In 1268 the first chief justice of the King's Bench was appointed.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The suffix "and Wales", now found in statutes and elsewhere, was of a holder's own motion and to reflect centuries-old reality, appended during the tenure of Lord Bingham of Cornhill. He held this office between 1996 and 2000.

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 title change of Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland to Lady Chief Justice. 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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

Portrait	Lord chief justice	From	Until	Notes
	William de Raley	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Stephen de Segrave	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	William of York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Henry of Bath	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Gilbert of Seagrave	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Henry of Bath	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir William of Wilton	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Nicholas de Turri	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Robert de Briwes	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Richard of Staines	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Martin of Littlebury	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Ralph de Hengham.jpg	Ralph de Hengham	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Gilbert de Thornton	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Roger Brabazon	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir William Inge	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Henry le Scrope	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Hervey de Stanton	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Geoffrey le Scrope	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Robert de Malberthorp	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Henry le Scrope	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Geoffrey le Scrope	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Richard de Willoughby	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Geoffrey le Scrope	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Richard de Willoughby	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Geoffrey le Scrope	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Richard de Willoughby	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Robert Parning	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir William Scott	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir William de Thorpe	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir William de Shareshull	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Henry Green	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir John Knyvet	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir John de Cavendish	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Murdered in the Peasants' Revolt
	Sir Robert Tresilian	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Walter Clopton	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir William Gascoigne	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir William Hankford	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir William Cheyne	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir John Juyn	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir John Hody	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Portrait of Sir John Fortescue (1663) by William Faithorne - cropped.jpg	Sir John Fortescue	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir John Markham	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Thomas Billing	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir William Hussey	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir John Fineux	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir John FitzJames	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:SirEdwardMontagu.jpg	Sir Edward Montagu	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Richard Lyster	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Roger Cholmeley	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Wroxeter St Andrews - Effigy of Thomas Bromley.JPG	Sir Thomas Bromley	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir William Portman	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Edward Saunders	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Robert Catlyn	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:SirChristopherWrayColour.jpg	Sir Christopher Wray	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:SirJohnPopham.jpg	Sir John Popham	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Sir Thomas Fleming by Marcus Gheeraerts.jpg	Sir Thomas Fleming	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Marcus the Younger Gheeraerts - Edward Coke Lord Chief Justice.jpg	Sir Edward Coke	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester by Francis Delaram.jpg	Sir Henry Montagu	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:James Ley, 1st Earl of Marlborough.jpg	Sir James Ley	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Sir Randall Crewe LCJ.jpg	Sir Ranulph Crewe	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Portrait of Lord Chief Justice Nicholas Hyde.jpg	Sir Nicholas Hyde	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Portrait supposedly of Sir Thomas Richardson (d.1635), Lord Chief Justice, but wrong heraldry 2.jpg	Sir Thomas Richardson	Template:Dts	Template:Dts†	Died in office
File:John Bramston attrib Peter Lely.jpg	Sir John Bramston	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Sir Robert Heath LCJ.jpg	Sir Robert Heath	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:HenryRolle.jpg	Sir Henry Rolle	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:John Glynne (1602-1666), by follower of Sir Peter Lely.jpg	John Glynne	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Knighted in 1660
	Sir Richard Newdigate	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Sir Robert Foster	Template:Dts	Template:Dts†	First Chief Justice after the Restoration; died in office
File:Sir Robert Hyde LCJ.jpg	Sir Robert Hyde	Template:Dts	Template:Dts†	Died in office
File:John Keeling after JM Wright.jpg	Sir John Kelynge	Template:Dts	Template:Dts†	Died in office
File:Matthew Hale by JM Wright Guildhall.jpg	Sir Matthew Hale	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Formerly Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer 1660–1671
File:Sir Richard Rainsford by Gerard Soest.jpg	Sir Richard Raynsford	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Sir William Scroggs by John Michael Wright.jpg	Sir William Scroggs	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Sir Francis Pemberton(1624-1697).jpg	Sir Francis Pemberton	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Later Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in 1683
	Sir Edmund Saunders	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Died in office
File:George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem by William Wolfgang Claret.jpg	Sir George Jeffreys (Lord Jeffreys from 1685)	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Lord Chancellor 1685–1688
	Sir Edward Herbert	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Later Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1687–1689
File:SirRobertWright.jpg	Sir Robert Wright	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Briefly Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in April 1687
File:Sir John Holt by Richard Van Bleeck.jpg	Sir John Holt	Template:Dts	Template:Dts†	Died in office
File:Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.jpg	Sir Thomas Parker (Lord Parker from 1714)	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	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
File:Sir John Pratt by Michael Dahl.jpg	Sir John Pratt	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1721
File:Robert Raymond, 1st Baron Raymond.jpg	Sir Robert Raymond (Lord Raymond from 1731)	Template:Dts	Template:Dts†	Previously Attorney General 1720–1724; died in office
File:Philip Lord Hardwicke after Michael Dahl.jpg	Lord Hardwicke	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	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	Sir William Lee	Template:Dts	Template:Dts†	Interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1754; died in office
File:Sirdudleyryder.jpg	Sir Dudley Ryder	Template:Dts	Template:Dts†	Previously Attorney General 1737–1754; died in office
File:William Murray, Earl of Mansfield LCJ.jpg	Lord Mansfield (Earl of Mansfield from 1776)	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	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	Lord Kenyon	Template:Dts	Template:Dts†	Previously Attorney General 1782–1783 1783–1784 and Master of the Rolls 1784–1788; died in office
File:Lord-ellenborough.jpg	Lord Ellenborough	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Previously Attorney General 1801–1802; interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1806
File:Lord Tenterden LCJ by William Owen.jpg	Sir Charles Abbott (Lord Tenterden from 1827)	Template:Dts	Template:Dts†	Interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1827; died in office
File:Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman by Sir Martin Archer Shee crop.jpg	Sir Thomas Denman (Lord Denman from 1834)	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Previously Attorney General 1830–1832; interim Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1834
File:Judge Campbell, Chief Justice of England.jpg	Lord Campbell	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Previously Attorney General 1834 and 1835–1841; briefly Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1841; later Lord Chancellor 1859–1861
File:Sir Alexander Cockburn LCJ by GF Watts.jpg	Sir Alexander Cockburn, Bt	Template:Dts	Template:Dts†	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
File:Lord Coleridge LCJ by EU Eddis.JPG	Lord Coleridge	Template:Dts	Template:Dts†	Previously Attorney General 1871–1873 and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1873–1880; died in office
File:Charles Lord Russell LCJ by JD Penrose.png	Lord Russell of Killowen	Template:Dts	Template:Dts†	Previously Attorney General 1886 1892–1894; first Catholic Lord Chief Justice; died in office
File:Portrait of Richard Webster, 1st Viscount Alverstone.jpg	Lord Alverstone	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Previously Attorney-General 1885–1886 1886–1892 1895–1900 and Master of the Rolls in 1900; in retirement, created Viscount Alverstone in 1913
File:Sir Rufus Isaacs GGBain.jpg	Sir Rufus Isaacs (Lord Reading from 1914, Viscount Reading from 1916, Earl of Reading from 1917)	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Previously Attorney General 1910–1913; later Viceroy of India 1921–1925 and created Marquess of Reading in 1926; first Jewish Lord Chief Justice
File:1stLordTrevethin.jpg	Sir Alfred Lawrence (Lord Trevethin from August 1921)	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Gordon Hewart LCJ by John Lander.jpg	Sir Gordon Hewart (Lord Hewart from 24 March 1922)	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Previously Attorney General 1919–1922; in retirement, created Viscount Hewart in 1940
File:Thomas Inskip.jpg	Viscount Caldecote	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Previously Attorney General 1928–1929 and 1932–1936 and Lord Chancellor 1939–1940
	Lord Goddard	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Previously a law lord from 1944
	Lord Parker of Waddington	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Lord Widgery	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Lord Lane	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Previously a law lord from 1979
	Lord Taylor of Gosforth	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Thomas Bingham, Baron Bingham of Cornhill (cropped).jpg	Lord Bingham of Cornhill	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	First Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales; Master of the Rolls 1992–1996; Senior Law Lord 2000–2008;
File:Official portrait of Lord Woolf 2020 crop 2.jpg	Lord Woolf	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Previously a law lord from 1992; Master of the Rolls from 1996 to 2000
File:Official portrait of Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers crop 2.jpg	Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	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
File:Official portrait of Lord Judge crop 2, 2019.jpg	Lord Judge	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Previously Deputy Chief Justice of England and Wales 2003–2005
File:Official portrait of Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd crop 2, 2022.jpg	Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Official portrait of Lord Burnett of Maldon crop 2.jpg	Lord Burnett of Maldon	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
File:Dame Sue Carr 2022 (cropped).jpg	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

• 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

See also

• Category:Lord chief justices of England and Wales
• Category:English judges
• Category:Judges of the Court of Appeal (England and Wales)
• Master of the Rolls

Further reading

• 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.