Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales

Information about Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales

Law of England and Wales

This article is part of the series:
Courts of England and Wales
Administration
Ministry of Justice
:Secretary of State for Justice
Her Majesty's Courts Service
Civil courts
Privy Council
House of Lords
:Lords of Appeal in Ordinary
Court of Appeal
:Master of the Rolls
:Lord Justice of Appeal
High Court of Justice
:Chancellor of the High Court
:President of the Queen's Bench
:President of the Family Division
:High Court judge
County Courts
:County Court Bulk Centre
:District Judge
Criminal courts
House of Lords
:Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
Court of Appeal
:Lord Chief Justice
:Lord Justice of Appeal
High Court of Justice
:President of the Queen's Bench
:High Court judge
Crown Court
:Circuit Judge
:Recorder
Magistrates' Court
:District Judge
:Justice of the Peace
Criminal justice
Attorney General
Director of Public Prosecutions
:Crown Prosecution Service
Barristers and solicitors
Bar Council
:Barrister
Law Society of England and Wales
:Solicitor
::Solicitor Advocate
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales was, historically, the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor. However as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, which removed the judicial functions from the office of Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice is now the head of the judiciary of England and Wales. He is also the presiding judge of the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal. Until the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 came into force in 2006, the Lord Chief Justice was also the head of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court. There is now a separate post of President of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court, currently held by Sir Igor Judge.

Under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the Lord Chief Justice is now to be chosen by a specially appointed committee, convened by the Judicial Appointments Commission.

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. That of the Exchequer Court was styled as the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, and that of the Common Pleas was Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, leaving the head of the King's (or Queen's) Bench to be known simply as the Lord Chief Justice. 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. The courts, however, were combined in 1875, creating a single Lord Chief Justice of England.

There is also a Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland. 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.

Presently the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, who succeeded Lord Woolf on October 1, 2005. He was the first Lord Chief Justice to act as head of the judiciary after the Lord Chancellor relinquished that role.

Chief Justices, King's (Queen's) Bench, to 1875

Lords Chief Justices of England (later England and Wales), 1875-present

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English law, the legal system of England and Wales, is the basis of common law legal systems throughout the world (as opposed to civil law or pluralist systems in other countries, such as Scots law).
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Courts of England and Wales are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in England and Wales; they are constituted and governed by the Law of England and Wales and are subordinate to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
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The Ministry of Justice is a department of the government of the United Kingdom, reorganized from the former Department for Constitutional Affairs. It also took over responsibility for sentencing policy, probation, prisons and prevention of re-offending in England and Wales
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The Secretary of State for Justice is a United Kingdom cabinet position. It was created in 2007 replacing the abolished Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, which was originally intended to fulfill those functions of the office of Lord Chancellor which related to the Lord
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Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) is an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and is responsible for the administration of the civil, family and criminal courts in England and Wales.
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The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom, established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833.[1] It replaced the Court of Delegates.
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The House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function, has a judicial function as a court of last resort within the United Kingdom. Historically, the House of Lords also functioned as a court of first instance for the trials of peers and for
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The House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function, has a judicial function as a court of last resort within the United Kingdom. Historically, the House of Lords also functioned as a court of first instance for the trials of peers and for
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Her Majesty's Court of Appeal is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords above it.

The Court is divided into two Divisions: the Civil Division and the Criminal Division.
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The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the third most senior judge of England and Wales, the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain traditionally being first and the Lord Chief Justice second.
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The Lord Justices of Appeal (Judges of the Court of Appeal) of England and Wales:
  1. The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Pill
  2. The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Ward
  3. The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Thorpe
  4. The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Waller
  5. The Rt. Hon.

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Her Majesty's High Court of Justice (usually known more simply as the High Court) is, together with the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal, part of the Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales (which under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, is to be known as the
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The Chancellor of the High Court is the head of the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. Before October 2005, when certain provisions of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 took effect, the office was known as the Vice-Chancellor.
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The President of the Queen's Bench Division is the head of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice. Until 2005, the Lord Chief Justice was also the President of the Queen's Bench, but the role was separated under the provisions of the Constitutional
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The President of the Family Division is the head of the Family Division of the High Court of Justice in England and Wales. The Family division was created in 1971, out of the former Admiralty Court and probate courts into the then Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division.
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A High Court judge is a judge of the High Court of Justice, and represents the third highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales. High Court judges are referred to as puisne (pronounced puny) judges.
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England and Wales

The County Court is the workhorse of the civil justice system in England and Wales. See Courts of England and Wales for a full list of the types of courts, and List of Courts in England and Wales for the locations of County Courts in England
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The County Court Bulk Centre (CCBC) is a County Court in England and Wales created to deal with claims by the use of various electronic media.

Unlike other County Courts the CCBC does not physically hear cases.
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The House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function, has a judicial function as a court of last resort within the United Kingdom. Historically, the House of Lords also functioned as a court of first instance for the trials of peers and for
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Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, or Law Lords, are appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the House of Lords in order to exercise its judicial functions, which include acting as the highest court of appeal for most domestic matters.
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Her Majesty's Court of Appeal is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords above it.

The Court is divided into two Divisions: the Civil Division and the Criminal Division.
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The Lord Justices of Appeal (Judges of the Court of Appeal) of England and Wales:
  1. The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Pill
  2. The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Ward
  3. The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Thorpe
  4. The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Waller
  5. The Rt. Hon.

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Her Majesty's High Court of Justice (usually known more simply as the High Court) is, together with the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal, part of the Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales (which under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, is to be known as the
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The President of the Queen's Bench Division is the head of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice. Until 2005, the Lord Chief Justice was also the President of the Queen's Bench, but the role was separated under the provisions of the Constitutional
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A High Court judge is a judge of the High Court of Justice, and represents the third highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales. High Court judges are referred to as puisne (pronounced puny) judges.
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Crown Court is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Supreme Court of Judicature in England and Wales. It is the higher court of first instance in criminal cases, and is equal in stature to the High Court, which hears
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A judge or justice is an official who presides over a court. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions.
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In the Courts of England and Wales, a Recorder is a barrister or solicitor of at least 10 years standing who is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Lord Chancellor as a part-time Crown Court judge. A Recorder has all the powers of a Circuit Judge. A Recorder can also sit i.
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Magistrates' Court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions.
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District Judge may refer to
  • A member of the Judiciary of England and Wales
  • A United States federal judge

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