Dame Sue Carr Becomes First Female Chief Judge in England and Wales
Dame Sue Carr has become the Lady Chief Justice, the first woman to hold the title of the most senior judge in England and Wales.
She was sworn in on Monday during a ceremony at the Royal Courts of Justice in front of her family, heads of the legal profession and scores of senior judges.
The Lady Chief Justice Lady Carr is the 98th person in the role, which dates back to the 13th century, and her swearing in follows the retirement of former Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett.
In a statement, Lady Carr said: “It is a great privilege to assume this role. I do not underestimate the challenges that lie ahead, and I look forward to approaching the role with energy, enthusiasm, and positivity.
“The rule of law is a fundamental constitutional principle which underpins an open, fair and peaceful society, where citizens and businesses can prosper. Our judges and magistrates are its cornerstone.”
Surrey-born Lady Carr, the daughter of British businessman Richard Carr, a former director of Arsenal FC, became a barrister in 1987, initially specialising in commercial law.
She also spent a brief period in the courts in Australia, having won a place on a scholarship that aims to give promising young lawyers experience in working in a foreign jurisdiction.
In 2009, she became a judge overseeing criminal trials in the Midlands. She was then quickly promoted to the High Court and later the Court of Appeal.
Her recent cases have included ruling in the appeal court that long jail sentences given to two environmental protesters, who caused chaos on the M25 motorway by scaling the Queen Elizabeth II bridge over the Thames, had been appropriate.
“The sentences [given to the protesters] should not be seen as having a chilling effect on the right to peaceful protest or to assembly,” she ruled.
“This protest was of a wholly different nature and scale to the many non-violent protests of conscientious activists up and down the country exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly on a daily basis.”
