This is a list of justices of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales, the puisne judges of the court. They serve in addition to the High Court's ex officio members:[1]
In addition to the justices, Masters of the High Court (King's Bench Masters, Chancery Masters, Taxing Masters/Costs Judges) and Insolvency and Companies Court Judges also form part of the judiciary of the High Court. Decisions of justices, masters and of Insolvency and Companies Court Judges are of equal standing, both types being judges of the High Court sitting at first instance.[2]
Within months of appointment, male justices are made Knights Bachelor, and female justices are made Dame Commanders of the British Empire (DBE). In addition, all High Court judges are entitled to the judicial style Mr/Mrs/Ms Justice X.
The number of justices of the High Court is limited to 108, and the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 mandates that they retire at 75.
| Judge | Mandatory retirement | Date of appointment | Division | Role | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chancery | |||||
| 2 | Family | |||||
| 3 | Chancery | |||||
| 4 | King's Bench | |||||
| 5 | Family | |||||
| 6 | King's Bench | |||||
| 7 | Family | |||||
| 8 | King's Bench | |||||
| 9 | Family | |||||
| 10 | King's Bench | |||||
| 11 | King's Bench | |||||
| 12 | King's Bench | |||||
| 13 | King's Bench | |||||
| 14 | Family | |||||
| 15 | King's Bench | |||||
| 16 | King's Bench | |||||
| 17 | King's Bench | |||||
| 18 | King's Bench | |||||
| 19 | King's Bench | Judge in Charge King's Bench civil list | ||||
| 20 | King's Bench | |||||
| 21 | King's Bench | |||||
| 22 | King's Bench | |||||
| 23 | King's Bench | |||||
| 24 | King's Bench | |||||
| 25 | King's Bench | Judge in Charge of the Admiralty Court | ||||
| 26 | Chancery | |||||
| 27 | Family | |||||
| 28 | King's Bench | |||||
| 29 | King's Bench | |||||
| 30 | King's Bench | |||||
| 31 | Family | |||||
| 32 | King's Bench | |||||
| 33 | King's Bench | Deputy Senior Presiding Judge | ||||
| 34 | King's Bench | |||||
| 35 | King's Bench | |||||
| 36 | King's Bench | |||||
| 37 | King's Bench | |||||
| 38 | Chancery | President of the Lands Chamber of the Upper Tribunal | ||||
| 39 | King's Bench | |||||
| 40 | King's Bench | |||||
| 41 | King's Bench | Judge in Charge Technology and Construction Court | ||||
| 42 | King's Bench | |||||
| 43 | King's Bench | |||||
| 44 | King's Bench | |||||
| 45 | King's Bench | |||||
| 46 | King's Bench | President of the Administrative Appeals Chamber of the Upper Tribunal | ||||
| 47 | King's Bench | |||||
| 48 | Family | |||||
| 49 | King's Bench | |||||
| 50 | Family | |||||
| 51 | King's Bench | President of Employment Appeal Tribunal | ||||
| 52 | King's Bench | |||||
| 53 | King's Bench | |||||
| 54 | Chancery | |||||
| 55 | King's Bench | |||||
| 56 | King's Bench | |||||
| 57 | Sir Jeremy Johnson | King's Bench[3] | ||||
| 58 | King's Bench | Judge in charge of the Administrative Court | ||||
| 59 | King's Bench | Judge in charge of the Media and Communications list | ||||
| 60 | King's Bench | |||||
| 61 | King's Bench | Judge in Charge Commercial Court | ||||
| 62 | King's Bench | |||||
| 63 | King's Bench | |||||
| 64 | King's Bench | |||||
| 65 | King's Bench | |||||
| 66 | Chancery | |||||
| 67 | Chancery | Judge in Charge Intellectual Property | ||||
| 68 | King's Bench | |||||
| 69 | King's Bench | |||||
| 70 | King's Bench | |||||
| 71 | King's Bench | |||||
| 72 | King's Bench | |||||
| 73 | Family | |||||
| 74 | Family | National Lead Judge of the Financial Remedies Court | ||||
| 75 | Chancery | |||||
| 76 | Chancery | President of the Tax and Chancery Chamber of the Upper Tribunal | ||||
| 77 | Chancery | |||||
| 78 | King's Bench | |||||
| 79 | Family | |||||
| 80 | Chancery | |||||
| 81 | Chancery | |||||
| 82 | Chancery | |||||
| 83 | King's Bench | |||||
| 84 | King's Bench | |||||
| 85 | King's Bench | |||||
| 86 | King's Bench | |||||
| 87 | Chancery | |||||
| 88 | King's Bench | |||||
| 89 | King's Bench | |||||
| 90 | King's Bench | |||||
| 91 | Family | |||||
| 92 | King's Bench | |||||
| 93 | Chancery | |||||
| 94 | Chancery | |||||
| 95 | King's Bench | |||||
| 96 | King's Bench | |||||
| 97 | Chancery | |||||
| 98 | Family | |||||
| 99 | Family | |||||
| 100 | King's Bench | |||||
| 101 | King's Bench | Planning Liaison Judge | ||||
| 102 | Family | |||||
| 103 | Family | |||||
| 104 | King's Bench | |||||
| 105 | Chancery | |||||
| 106 | Family | |||||
| 107 | Sir Richard Harrison | 13 November 2043 | 2 December 2024 | Family |
The Common Pleas Division was one of the original divisions of the High Court. It was created in 1875 through the merger of the Court of Common Pleas into the High Court. The five existing Justices of the Common Pleas were transferred to the new Common Pleas Division, and retained their previous titles until they left office. The Common Pleas Division was merged into the King's Bench Division in 1881, and all of its remaining Justices were transferred to the latter.
The head of the Division was the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas; the post was abolished along with the Common Pleas Division in 1881, and its powers vested in the Lord Chief Justice.
| Name | Known as | Division | In succession to | Term began | Term ended | Reason | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir William Baliol Brett | Mr Justice Brett | Common Pleas | None (transferred from the Court of Common Pleas) | 1 November 1875 | 24 October 1876 | Appointed Lord Justice of Appeal | MP for Helston 1866–68; Solicitor General 1868; Lord Justice of Appeal 1876–83; PC 1876; Master of the Rolls 1883–97; created Baron Esher in 1885; created Viscount Esher in 1897 |
| Sir William Robert Grove | Mr Justice Grove | Common Pleas | None (transferred from the Court of Common Pleas) | 1 November 1875 | 26 February 1881 | Common Pleas Division merged into the King's Bench Division | Justice of the Court of Common Pleas 1871–75; PC 1887 |
| King's Bench | None (Common Pleas Division merged into the King's Bench Division) | 26 February 1881 | 2 September 1887 | Resignation | |||
| Hon George Denman | Mr Justice Denman | Common Pleas | None (transferred from the Court of Common Pleas) | 1 November 1875 | 26 February 1881 | Common Pleas Division merged into the King's Bench Division | MP for Tiverton 1859–65 and 1866–72; Justice of the Common Pleas 1872–75; refused knighthood upon appointment; PC 1893[XXXFamilyXXX] |
| King's Bench | None (Common Pleas Division merged into the King's Bench Division) | 26 February 1881 | 17 October 1892 | Resignation | |||
| Sir Thomas Dickson Archibald | Mr Justice Archibald | Common Pleas | None (transferred from the Court of Common Pleas) | 1 November 1875 | 18 October 1876 | Death | Junior Counsel to the Treasury 1868–72; Justice of the King's Bench 1872–75; Justice of the Common Pleas 1875 |
| Sir Nathaniel Lindley | Mr Justice Lindley | Common Pleas | None (transferred from the Court of Common Pleas) | 1 November 1875 | 26 February 1881 | Common Pleas Division merged into the King's Bench Division | Justice of the Common Pleas 1875; Lord Justice of Appeal 1881–97; PC 1881; Master of the Rolls 1897–1900; Lord of Appeal in Ordinary 1900–05; created Baron Lindley in 1900 |
| King's Bench | None (Common Pleas Division merged into the King's Bench Division) | 26 February 1881 | 1 November 1881 | Appointed Lord Justice of Appeal | |||
| Sir Henry Charles Lopes | Mr Justice Lopes | Common Pleas | Mr Justice Archibald | 7 November 1876 | 26 February 1881 | Common Pleas Division merged into the King's Bench Division | MP for Launceston 1868–74; MP for Frome 1874–76; Lord Justice of Appeal 1885–97; PC 1885; created Baron Ludlow in 1897 |
| King's Bench | None (Common Pleas Division merged into the King's Bench Division) | 26 February 1881 | 1 December 1885 | Appointed Lord Justice of Appeal |
The Exchequer Division was one of the original divisions of the High Court. It was created in 1875 through the merger of the Court of Exchequer into the High Court. The six existing Barons of the Exchequer were transferred to the new Exchequer Division, and retained their previous titles until they left office. Sir Henry Hawkins, the first judge to be directly appointed to the Exchequer Division, tried in vain to obtain the title of Baron, but was styled a Judge of the High Court instead. The Exchequer Division was merged into the King's Bench Division in 1881, and all of its remaining Justices were transferred to the latter.
The head of the Division was the Chief Baron of the Exchequer; the post was abolished along with the Exchequer Division in 1881, and its powers vested in the Lord Chief Justice.
| Name | Known as | Division | In succession to | Term began | Term ended | Reason | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir George William Wilshere Bramwell | Mr Baron Bramwell | Exchequer | None (transferred from the Court of Exchequer) | 1 November 1875 | 23 October 1876 | Appointed Lord Justice of Appeal | Baron of the Exchequer 1856–76; Lord Justice of Appeal 1876–81; PC 1876; created Baron Bramwell in 1882 |
| Sir Anthony Cleasby | Mr Baron Cleasby | Exchequer | None (transferred from the Court of Exchequer) | 1 November 1875 | 9 January 1879 | Resignation | Baron of the Exchequer 1868–79 |
| Sir Charles Edward Pollock | Mr Baron Pollock | Exchequer | None (transferred from the Court of Exchequer) | 1 November 1875 | 26 February 1881 | Exchequer Division merged into the King's Bench Division | Baron of the Exchequer 1873–97 (last Baron of the Exchequer)[Family] |
| King's Bench | None (Exchequer Division merged into the King's Bench Division) | 26 February 1881 | 21 November 1897 | Death | |||
| Sir Richard Paul Amphlett | Mr Baron Amphlett | Exchequer | None (transferred from the Court of Exchequer) | 1 November 1875 | 25 October 1876 | Appointed Lord Justice of Appeal | MP for East Worcestershire 1868–74; Baron of the Exchequer 1874–76; Lord Justice of Appeal 1876–77; PC 1876 |
| Sir John Walter Huddleston | Mr Baron Huddleston | Exchequer | None (transferred from the Court of Exchequer) | 1 November 1875 | 26 February 1881 | Exchequer Division merged into the King's Bench Division | Judge Advocate of the Fleet 1865–75; MP for Canterbury 1865–68; MP for Norwich 1874–75; Justice of the Common Pleas 1875; Baron of the Exchequer 1875–90 |
| King's Bench | None (Exchequer Division merged into the King's Bench Division) | 26 February 1881 | 5 December 1890 | Death | |||
| Sir Henry Hawkins | Mr Justice Hawkins? | King's Bench | ? | 2 November 1876 | 14 November 1876 | Transferred to the Exchequer Division | Created Baron Brampton in 1899; PC 1899 |
| Exchequer | ? | 14 November 1876 | 26 February 1881 | Exchequer Division merged into the King's Bench Division | |||
| King's Bench | None (Exchequer Division merged into the King's Bench Division) | 26 February 1881 | 4 January 1899 | Resignation | |||
| Sir James Fitzjames Stephen | Mr Justice Stephen | Exchequer | Mr Baron Cleasby | 15 January 1879 | 26 February 1881 | Exchequer Division merged into the King's Bench Division | Legal member of the Imperial Legislative Council 1869–72; KCSI 1877; created a baronet in 1891 |
| King's Bench | None (Exchequer Division merged into the King's Bench Division) | 26 February 1881 | 6 April 1891 | Resignation |