Sir John Thomas confirmed as new Lord Chief Justice
Sir John Thomas has been appointed as the new Lord Chief Justice (LCJ) following the retirement of Lord Judge. Thomas – who will take up the role from 1 October – was called to the bar by Gray's Inn in 1969. He was appointed a Judge of the High Court of England and Wales in 1996 and was assigned to the Queen's Bench Division and to the Commercial Court.
July 16, 2013 at 12:34 PM
3 minute read
Sir John Thomas has been appointed as the new Lord Chief Justice (LCJ) following the retirement of Lord Judge.
Thomas – who will take up the role from 1 October – was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1969. He was appointed a Judge of the High Court of England and Wales in 1996 and was assigned to the Queen's Bench Division and to the Commercial Court.
He has been President of the Queen's Bench Division since October 2011 and deputy head of Criminal Justice since 2008. He was also President of the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary from May 2008 to December 2010.
In a statement Thomas said: "It will be a hard task to follow such a great Chief Justice, but I will endeavour to maintain confidence in the judiciary, its reputation and its high standards of integrity and impartiality.
"Although in a time of reduced resources significant change must continue, the judiciary will play its leading part in ensuring that justice is delivered fairly and efficiently.
"It will continue to become more reflective of our diverse society. It will also continue to play a constructive role in its relationships with Government, Parliament and the media, but with the tensions that are inevitable in maintaining the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the rights of individuals."
The Judicial Appointments Committee kicked off the selection process to appoint a new LCJ in May.
The final decision was made by Her Majesty The Queen, with advice from the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor following the recommendation of the JAC panel chaired by Christopher Stephens.
Also on the panel was Lord Neuberger, the President of the Supreme Court; Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls; and judicial appointments commissioners Noel Lloyd and Dame Valerie Strachan.
Other candidates who had been expected to be in the running for the position included Court of Appeal judge Lady Justice Hallett; Lord Justice Hughes, the vice-president of the criminal division; and Lord Justice Leveson, the head of the sentencing council for England and Wales who recently oversaw the high-profile Leveson Inquiry into media standards.
Lord Judge is stepping down on 30 September after nearly five years in the role, having first been appointed in October 2008 when he replaced recently retired Supreme Court president Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers.
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