Candidates must be either a UK citizen or a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland at the time of application. Other European Union citizens are not eligible to apply. Reasonable length of service Nightingale Courts are now up and running – the Nightingale programme has provided 50 courtrooms across the estate which enables more crime work to be dealt with. She will take up appointment on 1 October 2020 consequential to the retirement of Lady Justice Rafferty.

We are in a much stronger position to manage the impact of the pandemic compared to last spring, and public health experts have confirmed our measures remain sufficient to deal with the current variants of the virus.Lady Justice Whipple takes on a new expanded role as Lead Judge for Diversity & Inclusion, Leadership Development and Wellbeing, following the appointment of Lady Justice Simler to the Supreme Court. She will build on the existing work to encourage greater diversity of people joining the judiciary, improving leadership practices and ensure that judges receive the wellbeing support they need. This role starts with immediate effect.

Before this appointments were made on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor, who was a Government Minister. The Lord Chancellor’s Department made its own enquiries as to the most eligible candidates. It was considered that the appointment process was open to the criticism that a member of the government should not have the sole responsibility for appointing judges. It was also considered that judges were appointed in the image of existing judges rather than solely on merit from a pool of widely drawn eligible candidates. Malleson & Russell (ed), Appointing Judges in an Age of Judicial Power: Critical Perspectives from around the World, (University of Toronto Press) (2006) The Queen is pleased to approve the appointment of a Justice of the High Court. This appointment will take effect from 1 October 2021. It is anticipated that further appointments will be announced in the coming months. The age at which someone is appointed should allow for a reasonable length of service, which is usually between three and five years before retirement.Lord Justice Dingemans was called to the Bar in 1987 and took silk in 2002. He was leading counsel to the Hutton Inquiry (into the death of biological warfare expert and former UN weapons inspector, David Kelly, in Iraq) in 2003 and acted for the Express and Star newspapers in the Leveson Inquiry in 2011-2012. She will take up appointment on 1 October 2020 consequential to the retirement of Mr Justice Barling.

He was appointed a High Court Judge in 2013 and was a Presiding Judge of the Western Circuit from 2014 to 2018. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2019. He was appointed as lead judge for International Relations in February 2021. Lead Judge for Diversity & Inclusion, Leadership Development and Wellbeing Brennan – The Selection of Judges for Commonwealth Courts (Canberra, 10 August 2007) (Senate Lecture Series) Andrew Ritchie QC, aged 61 will be known as The Honourable Mr Justice Ritchie. He was Called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1985 and took Silk in 2009.

The majority view of those that responded to the consultation felt that raising the MRA to 75 would not lead to the public having less confidence in the judiciary. With improvements in average life expectancy in the UK and the tendency for individuals to now work for longer, a higher MRA of 75 reflects these societal changes. Additionally, the benefit for judicial resource from retention of experienced JOHs supports the effective operation of our courts and tribunals, which could help to maintain and promote public confidence in the justice system. Julia Dias KC will be known as The Honourable Mrs Justice Dias. She was Called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1982 and took Silk in 2008. She was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2018, assigned to the Chancery Division. The Queen is pleased to approve the appointment of a Justice of the High Court. This appointment will take effect from 1 February 2021. It is anticipated that further announcements will be made. The King is pleased to approve the appointment of a Justice of the High Court. This appointment will take effect from 20 March 2023. Rowena Collins Rice, aged 60 will be known as The Honourable Mrs Justice Collins Rice. She was Admitted to the Roll in 1995. She was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2017.