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Senior Members of the Judiciary (Lord Chancellor image (Highest ranking…
Senior Members of the Judiciary
Lord Chancellor
Highest ranking among those Great Officers of State which are appointed regularly in the United Kingdom, outranking even the Prime Minister
The Lord Chancellor is a member of the Cabinet and, by law, is responsible for the efficient functioning and independence of the courts.
The current Lord Chancellor is David Gauke, who is also Secretary of State for Justice.
Whenever the Sovereign appoints Lords Commissioners to perform certain actions on their behalf (for example, to formally declare in Parliament that the Royal Assent has been granted, or to prorogue or dissolve Parliament), the Lord Chancellor usually served as the principal or senior Lord Commissioner
The Lord Chancellor is a member of the Privy Council and of the Cabinet. Their role is overseeing the administration of the courts, appointing many judges in the courts of England and Wales.
Master of the Rolls
Selected by the Queen on the recommendation of a selection panel convened by the Judicial Appointments Commission. The current Master of the Rolls is Sir Terence Etherton.
The Master of the Rolls was originally responsible for the safe-keeping of charters, patents and records of important court judgments written on parchment rolls. He still has responsibility for documents of national importance, being Chairman of the Advisory Council on Public Records and Chairman of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts.
Responsible for the deployment and organisation of the work of the judges of the division as well as presiding in one of its courts.
He normally sits with two Lords Justices of Appeal and there is occasionally a third member such as a retired Lord Justice. The most complex cases traditionally come before the Master of the Rolls.
The Master of the Rolls is second in judicial importance to the Lord Chief Justice. He is consulted on matters such as the civil justice system and rights of audience.
Lord Chief Justice
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales.
Historically, this role was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but became the top judge as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, which removed the judicial functions from the office of Lord Chancellor
The current Lord Chief Justice is Lord Burnett of Maldon, who took over the role on 2 October 2017.
President of the Supreme Court
The President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the head of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
The person who fulfils this role is chosen by the Queen, with support and advice from the Prime Minister.
There is no set term length for the role, however there is mandatory retirement at age 70. The President may be removed on the address of both Houses of Parliament.
The position is equivalent to the now-defunct position of Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, also known as the Senior Law Lord, following the reforms in October 2009.
