The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, and the presiding judge of Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal, and of the King's Bench Division of the High Court.
Originally, the three high common law courts, the Court of Common Pleas, the Court of the King's (or Queen's) Bench, and the Court of the Exchequer, each had their own Chief Justice. That of the Exchequer Court was styled as the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, and that of the Common Pleas was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, leaving the head of the King's (or Queen's) Bench to be known simply as the Lord Chief Justice. The courts, however, were combined in 1873, leaving a single Chief Justice.
There is also a Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland. The Lord Chief Justice's equivalent in Scotland is the Lord President of the Court of Session, who also holds the post of Lord Justice-General in the High Court of Justiciary.
Office Holder |
Year |
Robert De Brus | 1268-1274 |
Ralph De Hengham | 1274-1290 |
Gilbert De Thornton | 1290-1296 |
Roger Le Brabazon | 1296-1316 |
William Inge | 1316-1317 |
Henry Le Scrope | 1317-1323 |
Hervey De Staunton | 1323-1324 |
Geoffrey Le Scrope | 1324-1329 |
Robert De Malberthorpe | 1329 |
Henry Le Scrope | 1329-1330 |
Geoffrey Le Scrope | 1330-1332 |
Richard De Willoughby | 1332 |
Geoffrey Le Scrope | 1332-1333 |
Richard De Willoughby | 1333-1337 |
Geoffrey Le Scrope | 1337-1338 |
Richard De Willoughby | 1338-1340 |
Sir Robert Parning | 1340-1341 |
Sir William Scot | 1341-1346 |
Sir William De Thorpe | 1346-1350 |
Sir William De Shareshull | 1350-1357 |
Sir Thomas De Seton | 1357-1361 |
Sir Henry Greene | 1361-1365 |
Sir John Knynett | 1365-1372 |
John De Cavendish | 1372-1381 |
Sir Robert Tresylian | 1381-1388 |
Sir Walter De Clopton | 1388-1400 |
Sir William Gascoigne | 1400-1413 |
Sir William Hankford | 1413-1424 |
Sir William Cheney | 1424-1439 |
Sir John Ivyn | 1439-1440 |
Sir John Hody | 1440-1442 |
Sir John Fortescue | 1442-1461 |
Sir John Markham | 1461-1469 |
Sir Thomas Billing | 1469-1481 |
Sir William Hussey | 1481-1495 |
Sir John Finieux | 1495-1526 |
Sir John FitzJames | 1526-1539 |
Sir Edward Montague | 1539-1545 |
Sir Richard Lyster | 1545-1552 |
Sir Roger Cholmley | 1552-1553 |
Sir Thomas Bromley | 1553-1555 |
Sir William Portman | 1555-1557 |
Sir Edward Saunders | 1557-1559 |
Sir Robert Catlin | 1559-1574 |
Sir Christopher Wray | 1574-1592 |
Sir John Popham | 1592-1607 |
Office Holder |
Year |
Sir Thomas Bryan | 1485-1500 |
Sir Thomas Wood | 1500-1502 |
Sir Thomas Frowyk | 1502-1506 |
Sir Robert Read | 1506-1519 |
Sir John Ernle | 1519-1521 |
Sir Robert Brudenell | 1521-1531 |
Robert Norwich | 1531-1535 |
Sir John Baldwin | 1535-1545 |
Sir Edward Montague | 1545-1553 |
Sir Richard Morgan | 1553-1554 |
Sir Robert Brooke | 1554-1558 |
Sir Anthony Browne | 1558-1559 |
Sir James Dyer | 1559-1582 |
Sir Edmund Anderson | 1582-1605 |
to Titles Page | to Life Page | to Home Page |