Igor Judge, Baron Judge

Igor Judge, Baron Judge, PC (born 19 May 1941) is the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.

Judge was born in Malta. His parents were Raymond and Rosa Judge (née Micallef). He was educated at St. Edward's College, Cottonera and Oratory School, Woodcote. He studied history and law at Magdalene College, Cambridge.

He was called to the bar at Middle Temple in 1963. He became a Recorder in 1976 and a Queen's Counsel in 1979. He was appointed to the Queen's Bench Division in 1988 (as Mr Justice Judge), and awarded the customary knighthood, and promoted to the Court of Appeal in 1996 (as Lord Justice Judge), becoming a Privy Counsellor.

He was the Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales from 1998 to 2003, when he became Deputy Lord Chief Justice. He was not appointed as Lord Chief Justice following the retirement of Lord Woolf in 2005 despite having served as his deputy. The then Master of the Rolls, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, was appointed instead.

He was appointed as the first President of the Queen's Bench Division in 2005 when that post was split from that of Lord Chief Justice. In addition to his role as President of the Queen's Bench Division, Judge was appointed Head of Criminal Justice in January 2007. [cite web |url=http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications_media/media_releases/2007/0607.htm |title=Media Releases - Head of Criminal Justice |publisher=Judicial Communications Office |date=2007=01-31 |dateaccessed=2008-04-14]

It was announced on 7 July 2008 that he would replace Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales on 1 October 2008. On 4 September 2008 it was announced that Sir Igor was to be elevated to the peerage as a life peer. [http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page16738] In consequence, he is eligible to sit as a member of the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords. On 1 October 2008 he was created Baron Judge, of Draycote in the county of Warwickshire, and he was introduced into the House of Lords five days later. [cite web |url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldhansrd/text/81006-0001.htm title=Lords Hansard for 6 October 2008 |accessdate=2008-10-07] His successor as President of the Queen's Bench Division is Sir Anthony May.

External links

* [http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/1287.htm Information About The Court of Appeal Civil Division] from the Courts Service
* [http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/keyfacts/list_judiciary/biographies/president_qb.htm Senior judiciary biographies - President of the Queen's Bench Division]
* [http://www.maltagenealogy.com/libro%20d'Oro/2005.htm Malta genealogy]

References