| The Right Honourable The Lord Judge PC |
|
|---|---|
| Lord Judge | |
| Lord Chief Justice and President of the Courts of England and Wales | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1 October 2008 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Preceded by | Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers |
| President of the Queen's Bench Division | |
| In office 3 October 2005 – 1 October 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Sir Anthony May |
| Deputy Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales | |
| In office 2003–2005 |
|
| Lord Chief Justice | The Lord Woolf |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 May 1941 Malta |
| Alma mater | Magdalene College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Judge |
| Profession | Legal |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Igor Judge, Baron Judge PC (born 19 May 1941)[1] is a Maltese-born English judge and has been Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, the head of the English judiciary,[2] since October 2008. He had previously been President of the Queen's Bench Division, at the time a newly created post assuming responsibilities transferred from the office of Lord Chief Justice.
Contents |
Judge was born in Malta to Raymond and Rosa Judge (née Micallef). Judge was educated at St Edward's College, Cottonera, in Malta, from 1947 to 1954 and The Oratory School in Woodcote in Oxfordshire from 1954 to 1959, where he was Captain of School and Captain of Cricket.[1] He was awarded an Open Exhibition to study History and Law at Magdalene College, Cambridge in 1959, and he graduated B.A. in 1962. While at Cambridge he had become a member of Middle Temple, and he was called to the bar in 1963.[1]
He became a Recorder in 1976 and Queen's Counsel in 1979.[1] From 1980 to 1986, he served on the Professional Conduct Committee of the Bar Council of England and Wales. In 1987, he was elected Leader of the Midland Circuit, and he was appointed to the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice in 1988 and awarded the customary knighthood.[1] He was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal, a judge of the Court of Appeal, in 1996, becoming a Privy Counsellor.[1]
He was the Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales from 1998 to 2003, when he became Deputy Lord Chief Justice.[1] He was not appointed as Lord Chief Justice following the retirement of Lord Woolf in 2005 despite having served as his deputy. The then Master of the Rolls, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, was appointed instead.
He was appointed as the first President of the Queen's Bench Division in 2005 when that post was split from that of Lord Chief Justice. In addition to his role as President of the Queen's Bench Division, Judge was appointed Head of Criminal Justice in January 2007.[3]
It was announced on 7 July 2008 that Lord Justice Judge would replace Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales on 1 October 2008. On 4 September 2008, it was announced that Sir Igor was to be elevated to the peerage as a life peer.[4] On 1 October 2008 he was created Baron Judge, of Draycote in the county of Warwickshire, and he was introduced into the House of Lords five days later.[5] His successor as President of the Queen's Bench Division was Sir Anthony May.
In 2007 Lord Judge was awarded an honorary doctorate from Nottingham Trent University,[6] and in 2010 was made an Honorary Fellow of Aberystwyth University as well as Kingston University.
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers |
Lord Chief Justice | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Order of precedence in England and Wales | ||
| Preceded by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers President of the Supreme Court |
Gentlemen Lord Chief Justice |
Succeeded by The Marquess of Cholmondeley Lord Great Chamberlain |