Press release

Senior Judicial Appointments

The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of The Right Honourable Sir (Roger) John Laugharne Thomas as President of the Queen's Bench Division with effect from 3 October 2011 following the retirement of The Right Honourable Sir Anthony May on 31 July 2011.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Biographical Note

Lord Justice (Roger) John Laugharne Thomas (63) was called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1969, made a Bencher in 1992 and took Silk in 1984. He was appointed as a Recorder in 1987 and as a Judge of the High Court (Queen’s Bench Division) in 1996. He was appointed as a Judge of the Commercial Court from 1996 to 2003 and as Senior Presiding Judge from 2003 to 2006. Sir John Thomas was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2003. He has been Deputy Head of Criminal Justice and Vice-President of the Queen’s Bench Division since 2008 and was President of the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary from 2008 to 2010.

Lord Justice Thomas was knighted in 1996.

Published 8 June 2011