On 1st October 2023, Dame Sue Carr was sworn in as the 98th President of the Courts of England and Wales and Head of the Judiciary of England and Wales at a ceremony that took place at the Royal Courts of Justice. She made history as the first woman to hold this notable position and will be known as Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales.
First Woman to Preside Over the Judiciary
Dame Carr assumes the role as Lady Chief Justice just twenty years after taking silk in 2023, having become a High Court judge a decade ago. She takes over from Lord Burnett of Maldon to become the first woman to preside over the judicial system since the post of Lord Chief Justice was created 755 years ago.
The appointment was made by the King on the advice of the Lord Chancellor, Alex Chalk KC, and the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, following the recommendation of an independent selection panel.
She will be expected to serve at least four years in post, during which she will lead ongoing court modernisation, a process that has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Her responsibilities will also include coordinating with the government, including the allocation of resources to the judiciary, and being responsible for the welfare, training and direction of judges, as well as the assignment and distribution of work in the courts.
Dame Carr, who is 58, resigned as senior Judicial Commissioner on the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) in January to apply for the post and was selected from an all-female shortlist, including Dame Victoria Sharp, 67, the King’s Bench Division president.
Progress on Diversity Still Needed in the Judiciary
The judiciary is trying to encourage more diversity in the profession and Dame Carr’s appointment is definitely a step in the right direction.
While noting that this was a historic moment, Law Society President Lubna Shuja, also expressed hopes that it will lead to further progress on women’s representation within the judiciary. She noted that only a third of judges in the courts are currently women and that only one of the twelve Supreme Court judges is a woman.
Similarly, Master of the Rolls, Sir Geoffry Vos said that despite Carr’s appointment, the judiciary must be ‘careful not to be complacent’. He took the view that there was still work to do to make the judiciary as diverse and as inclusive as it should be.For more news and updates, follow our blog.
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