Appointment of Lord and Lady Justices of Appeal: 21 July 2017
The Queen has been pleased to approved the appointment of one Lady Justice and six Lord Justices of Appeal.
The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Mrs Justice Asplin as Lady Justice of Appeal and the following as Lord Justices of Appeal: Mr Justice Coulson, Mr Justice Holroyde, Mr Justice Peter Jackson, Mr Justice Leggatt, Mr Justice Newey and Mr Justice Singh.
These appointments will fill forthcoming vacancies in the Court of Appeal arising from autumn 2017.
These appointments are to be made in light of forthcoming retirements in the Court of Appeal and vacancies that arise as a consequence of a number of changes including the appointment of Sir Ian Burnett as Lord Chief Justice and Sir Adrian Fulford as Investigatory Powers Commissioner.
The appointment of Lord and Lady Justices of the Court of Appeal are made by Her Majesty The Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor following the recommendation of an independent selection panel.
Selection panel
The selection panel was chaired by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd. The other panel members were Sir Terence Etherton, the Master of the Rolls; Lord Kakkar, the Chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission; and two lay Commissioners of the Judicial Appointments Commission: Professor Noel Lloyd and Professor Emily Jackson.
In accordance with section 79 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 as amended by the Crime and Courts Act 2013, the panel determined the selection process to be followed. In accordance with s10(3) of the Senior Courts Act 1981, the selection exercise was open to applicants that satisfied the judicial eligibility condition on a 7-year basis or were Judges of the High Court.
Appointments
Mrs Justice Asplin
Called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1984. She was appointed both a Master of the Bench and Queen’s Counsel in 2002. She was made a Deputy High Court Judge in 2007 and a Justice of the High Court (Chancery Division) in October 2012. She is responsible for issues and co-ordination in relation to litigants in person on behalf of the Judiciary and has written a Guide to the Chancery Applications Court for Litigants in Person.
Mr Justice Coulson
Called to the bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1982 after graduating from the University of Keele. He became a well-respected junior at the Technology and Construction Bar from 1983 onwards. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2001 and he became a Recorder the same year. In 2004, he was appointed a Senior Circuit Judge in the Technology and Construction Court. In 2008 he was appointed as a High Court Judge in the Queen’s Bench Division. He was a presiding Judge of the North Eastern Circuit between 2011 and 2014. He was appointed as the Judge in Charge of the Technology and Construction Court in 2016.
Mr Justice Holroyde
Called to the bar (Middle Temple) in 1977 and took silk in 1996. He was appointed as a Recorder in 1997 and as a High Court Judge in the Queen’s Bench Division in January 2009. He was a Presiding Judge on the Northern Circuit from 2012 until 2015.
Mr Justice Peter Jackson
Called to the bar (Inner Temple) in 1978 and took silk in 2000. He was appointed as a Recorder in 1998, a Deputy High Court Judge in 2003 and a High Court Judge in the Family Division in October 2010.
Mr Justice Leggatt
Called to the Bar (Middle Temple) in 1982. He practised as a barrister specialising in commercial law. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1997. He became a Recorder of the Crown Court in 2002 and a Deputy High Court Judge in 2008. He was made a Justice of the High Court (Queen’s Bench Division) in October 2012.
Mr Justice Newey
Called to the Bar (Middle Temple) in 1982. He practised at the Chancery Bar between 1983 and his appointment as a High Court Judge at the beginning of 2010. Before taking silk in 2001, he was one of the Junior Counsel to the Crown (Chancery/A Panel) (from 1990) and Junior Counsel to the Charity Commissioners (from 1991). In 2003 he became an (Acting) Deemster of the Isle of Man, and in 2006 he was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge. He also served as a DTI inspector, inquiring into the affairs of MG Rover and associated companies. He has been the Chancery Supervising Judge for the Midland, Wales and Western Circuits since 2014.
Mr Justice Singh
Called to the Bar (Lincoln’s Inn) in 1989 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2002. His practice was mainly in the areas of public law, human rights and employment law. He was one of the Junior Counsel to the Crown, serving on the A Panel from 2000 to 2002. He was also the Additional Junior Counsel to the Inland Revenue from 1997 to 2002 and Chair of the Administrative Law Bar Association from 2006 to 2008. He was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2003 and a Recorder of the Crown Court from 2004. He was appointed as a High Court Judge in 2011. He was a Presiding Judge on the South Eastern Circuit from January 2013 until December 2016.