James Munby

The Right Honourable
 Lord Justice Munby
Chairman of the Law Commission for England and Wales
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 August 2009
Nominated by Jack Straw
as Justice Secretary
Appointed by Elizabeth II
Preceded by The Right Honourable Lord Justice Etherton

Sir James Munby QC, styled The Rt Hon. Lord Justice Munby, is a British Court of Appeal judge, and the present chairman of the Law Commission for England and Wales.

Justice Munby was called to the bar in 1971, and is a former member of New Square Chambers.[1] He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1988 and then appointed as a High Court Judge in 2000, assigned to the Family Division and the Administrative Court.

Munby was the presiding judge when Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer divorced his second wife, Carolyn Freud. Spencer's barrister Nicholas Mostyn advised his client that the case could be heard in private, which Munby rejected, with the Earl was upset at the final settlement. Mostyn, a keen farmer, named his latest batch of seven pigs after his thoughts on Munby: James, Munby, Self-regarding, Pompous, Publicity, Seeking, Pillock. The Earl later unsuccessfully sued Mostyn.[2][3]

Justice Munby was appointed as Chairman of the Law Commission by Justice Secretary Jack Straw on 1 August 2009, replacing The Right Honourable Lord Justice Etherton.[4]

In 2011 he held that "the laws and usages of the [UK] do not include Christianity, in whatever form” [5]

References

  1. ^ "Members". New Square Chambers. http://www.newsquarechambers.co.uk/Members/Members.aspx. Retrieved 2010-12-20. 
  2. ^ Maev Kennedy (25 July 2010). "And these little piggies … were named after a high court judge". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2010/jul/25/nicholas-mostyn-piggies-princess-diana. Retrieved 2010-12-19. 
  3. ^ Fay Schlesinger (25 July 2010). "The bizarre case of Earl Spencer, his divorce lawyer...and seven little piggies". Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1297370/The-bizarre-case-Earl-Spencer-divorce-lawyer--seven-little-piggies.html. Retrieved 2010-12-19. 
  4. ^ "New chairman of Law Commission appointed by Lord Chancellor". The Department of Justice. 3 August 2009. http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/newsrelease030809b.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-20. 
  5. ^ “...the laws and usages of the realm do not include Christianity, in whatever form” Archbishop Cranmer 2-Mar-2011