News

The Lord Chancellor has asked the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to convene a selection panel to recommend a new President of the King’s Bench Division as successor to Dame Victoria Sharp, who is retiring in October 2026.

The Lord Chancellor has asked the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to convene a selection panel to recommend a new Master of the Rolls as successor to Sir Geoffrey Vos, who is retiring at the end of October 2026.

Work has begun to recruit a new Chair, who will continue to drive the JAC forward to deliver the priorities outlined in our Business Strategy and uphold our statutory duties.

The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) has published its Diversity Update for January 2026 , setting out progress and analysis in support of its statutory duty to encourage diversity in the range of candidates available for judicial appointment.

The judiciary plays an important role in our society. But there are a lot of commonly held misconceptions about judges – who appoints them, their backgrounds and who can be a judge. In this blog, we’ll address some common myths about the judiciary and provide some insight into the judicial appointments process along the way.

His Majesty the King, on the advice of the Lord Chancellor, has approved the appointment of 3 new commissioners to the Judicial Appointments Commission.

The King is pleased to approve the appointment of a Justice of the High Court. This appointment will take effect from 29 January 2026.

Ensuring that people who serve in our courts and tribunals are selected openly, fairly, and on merit is an important part of maintaining trust in our judicial system. The independent Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) leads this process for England and Wales – and at the heart of our selection panels are lay panel members – independent individuals from outside the judiciary who help assess candidates for judicial office.

The King is pleased to approve the appointment of a Justice of the High Court. This appointment will take effect from 12 January 2026.

The Lord Chancellor has asked the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to convene a selection panel to recommend candidates to fill up to seven vacancies in the Court of Appeal.