Woman appointed Lord Chief Justice for first time in history of role

The most senior judge in England and Wales will be a woman for the first time in the history of the role, which dates back to the 13th century.

Dame Sue Carr has been formally appointed Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales by the King, and will take up the role from October 1 following the retirement of the current Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett at the end of September.

The appointment was made by the King on the advice of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk following the recommendation by an independent selection panel.

The Lord Chief Justice’s role involves liaising with the Government, including over provision of resources to the judiciary, and being responsible for the welfare, training and guidance of the judiciary as well as the deployment of judges and allocation of work in the courts.

Lady Justice Carr, 58, became a barrister in 1987 and took silk in 2003. She held a number of senior roles during her career as a lawyer, including chair of the Bar Standards Board conduct committee and complaints commissioner to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

She became a criminal judge in 2009 and a High Court judge in 2013, before being appointed a Lady Justice of Appeal in 2020.

Her appointment comes at a time of increased efforts to improve the diversity of the judiciary.

Lady Justice Carr attended Wycombe Abbey school in Buckinghamshire and Trinity College, Cambridge, where she read law and modern languages, and speaks French and German.

She is also a keen musician – singing with the Bar Choral Society and playing the piano – and is married with three children.

Dame Victoria Sharp, the current president of the King’s Bench Division of the High Court, was shortlisted alongside Lady Justice Carr for the role.