Sue Carr appointed as England’s first female Lord Chief Justice

Carr, 58, a distinguished UK lawyer with a veteran status was named as the successor to the current Lord Chief Justice, Ian Burnett, who is set to retire at the end of September

• Kimberly Rodrigues
• 16 June, 2023

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By: Kimberly Rodrigues

Sue Carr has become the first woman to be appointed as the highest-ranking judge for England and Wales in a historic announcement on Thursday (15).

Carr, 58, a distinguished UK lawyer with a veteran status was named as the successor to the current Lord Chief Justice, Ian Burnett, who is set to retire at the end of September.

This significant appointment marks a milestone in the judiciary’s long-standing tradition, dating back to the 13th century.

The role of the Lord Chief Justice involves overseeing the judicial system in England and Wales — Scotland has a separate legal system — although its pre-eminence was diluted by the creation of the UK Supreme Court in 2009.

Carr, who was admitted to the bar as a barrister in 1987, has an extensive legal background. She has been involved in various legal capacities, including working at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

In 2009, she assumed the position of a criminal judge, and in 2020, she was appointed to the appeals court, where she has since served.

Carr, a Cambridge graduate, is married and blessed with three children. Apart from her legal career, she is passionate about music and actively participates in a lawyers’ choir, showcasing her singing talents. Carr is also skilled in playing the piano.

Carr’s appointment as the Lord Chief Justice is part of the UK government’s efforts to enhance gender mix in high-ranking legal positions — although men account for two-thirds of judges, and ethnic minorities are under-represented.

Black judges make up just over one per cent of the total in England and Wales, barely changed from 2014, according to a Law Society report last year.

“At that rate of progress, it would take until 2149 for the proportion of the judiciary who are black to match the current estimate for the general population — 3.5 per cent,” it said.

(AFP)