The Lady Chief Justice, the Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, gave the following speech at Mansion House in London on Tuesday 1 July 2026.
My Lady Mayor, Lord Chancellor, my Ladies, Lords and Gentleman, it is a real pleasure to be here this evening, once more enjoying the City’s magnificent hospitality. Whether or not football is coming home, it always feels like home for us at this special dinner in the Mansion House for the judges.
It is a particular pleasure, as it is not only the first year in which a woman leads both the City and the Judiciary, but also the first that a ‘Sue’ takes both roles. Of course, the nominative determinism of my own name is not lost on me – nor perhaps, should it be lost on my Lady Mayor, given that the City plays no small part in making London the disputes capital of the world. But I do wonder what might make a truly deterministic name for a successor to the Lady Mayor.
The best I could think of were ‘Penny’ – which rather undersells the financial prowess of the City – or ‘Gilda’, for the City’s longstanding connection with the livery companies. I leave you all with the challenge to find a better alternative…
It is a particular pleasure, as it is not only the first year in which a woman leads both the City and the Judiciary, but also the first that a ‘Sue’ takes both roles. Of course, the nominative determinism of my own name is not lost on me – nor perhaps, should it be lost on my Lady Mayor, given that the City plays no small part in making London the disputes capital of the world. But I do wonder what might make a truly deterministic name for a successor to the Lady Mayor. The best I could think of were ‘Penny’ – which rather undersells the financial prowess of the City – or ‘Gilda’, for the City’s longstanding connection with the livery companies. I leave you all with the challenge to find a better alternative…
My Lady Mayor, you are only the third woman to occupy that great office. The first to honour it with the title Lady Mayor. Leadership has many facets to it. Sometimes being seen is the most important because it not only opens the door for others, but just as importantly it shows them that there is a door through which entry is open to all. But you have not just been seen. You have championed programmes making a practical difference, including in schools serving underprivileged areas of London.
The Lord Chancellor and I have also recently embarked together on further work to achieve a judiciary that is truly diverse. Amongst other things, that it is able to draw on the widest possible talent from across the legal profession and society as a whole. Working with the professions, through the new Judicial and Legal Diversity Board, we will bring renewed focus on developing the widest range of talent into and within the judiciary. We too seek to open the door ever wider to excellence at all levels of the judiciary from across the breadth of society.
A mutual interest in improving diversity is one amongst many that the City and the Law also have in common. This is unsurprising. The two enjoy one of the longest, beneficial connections in our proud histories. Long before the Inns of Court were a twinkle in Justice’s eye, law was taught in the City. We have a relationship then that goes back to at least the 12th century. We are still waiting to hear which gemstone celebrates that particular anniversary…
Following a Papal decree in 1219 which prohibited the clergy from studying the common law, the teaching of law devolved to lay professionals: experts in the common law who would in time create what became the Inns of Court clustered between the City and Parliament. Those Inns were themselves based on the model provided by the City’s own guilds.
We could say then, that the City nurtured the development of our legal system. In turn, through providing the means by which wrongs can be redressed and rights vindicated, our lawyers, courts and judges helped secure the rule of law, and through that the City’s ability to develop into – and remain – a global central financial hub.
There has been significant change over the course of our long relationship. Lord Mansfield, when Chief Justice in the 18th century, oversaw the development of commercial law. The 19th century saw the birth of the High Court and, notably for the City, the Commercial Court. The 20th century saw the development of commercial arbitration, giving – as the saying goes – maximum support by the courts with minimum interference. And, most recently the 21st century saw the birth of the Business and Property Courts in 2017, but one example of the strength and excellence of our judiciary in all Divisions of the High Court – and beyond.
Our courts and tribunals are constantly moving with the times, responding to the needs of the legal markets, businesses and individuals. Stability is necessary – particularly where law and the ability to vindicate rights are concerned. But a willingness to change, and to lead change where that is necessary, is how the justice system can continue to underpin public confidence in the City, and the UK as a whole, as a place to seek legal and financial services and dispute resolution.
All of which provide a significant benefit to UK GDP.
Let me highlight two such evolutionary changes relevant to the City, this evening’s focus. The Business and Property Courts will come together as the Business and Property Division of the High Court. A reform that, as with others in the past, and like the common law itself, is one that builds on what has come before it to meet today’s needs. It is a reform that will, I have no doubt, help to underpin the strength of the City and our economy in the years to come.
The second change is one of partnership between the City and the Law. This coming year brings the completion of the new City of London Courts, in what has been dubbed the new Justice Quarter between the Old Bailey and the Royal Courts of Justice. Legislation is currently going through Parliament, which contains provision to maintain the historic link between the City and the Judiciary. The building work nears completion. Plans are advancing on the opening of its state-of-the-art courts. Once opened, it will be a striking example of our historic relationship continuing to thrive in the modern day.
So our courts are undergoing change, and with it our justice system is evolving. Much has been written about evolution – think Darwin, Bryson, Harari and Hawking. It has many strands to it. In any institution, a key strand is the people, and there can be evolutionary bursts. This is one of those times for the judiciary. We have recently very sadly lost two former leaders of the judiciary: Sir James Munby and Lord Clarke. Both in their time were proponents of change in the family and civil courts. They are sorely missed.
We are also seeing significant change within the senior judiciary. Some have described it as amounting to an unprecedented degree of change. The Supreme Court is to have a new President, a new Deputy President having been appointed only last January. This legal year we have already said goodbye to the Chancellor, Sir Julian Flaux, and the President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane. Later this year, we will see both the Master of the Rolls and President of the King’s Bench Division retire from the Bench.
This evening is not the time for valedictories. Both Sir Geoffrey and Dame Victoria – as with Sir Julian and Sir Andrew – have led the judiciary with signal distinction. Through the pandemic they ensured that justice continued to be delivered. They have led reform to improve access to and transparency within our courts. And they have ensured that our justice system can meet the challenges of the future, not least where AI and other forms of technological development are concerned.
Just as with our courts and tribunals, our senior judiciary also then is evolving.
Fans of a certain dystopian future’s judicial officer, ‘Judge Dredd’, might well view this as a risk. But rest assured, our current evolutionary state is very much not at risk of producing any science-fiction ‘street judges’. Within the judiciary we have a real depth and breadth of talent and experience. We have already seen that in the appointment of Sir Colin Birss as Chancellor and Sir Stephen Cobb as President of the Family Division. We will see again later this year when the new Master of the Rolls and President are appointed. We see it generally through appointments to the Bench at all levels.
Our High Court Judges and Lord and Lady Justices of Appeal, Masters, specialist judges, tribunals judges and members, Circuit judges, district judges and coroners, exemplify all that is good about our justice system. Independence of thought and apprehension. The keenest sense of justice and fairness.
We rightly owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the work of those retiring judges. At the same time, we can look forward to working with their successors and the talent that saturates our judiciary.
With all this in mind, my Lady Mayor, I believe we can look to the future knowing that, no matter what, our commitment – Judiciary, Government and City – to the delivery of justice for all burns as brightly tonight as ever. That, as long as we continue to think carefully about how to effect evolutionary improvements to our justice system, ones which draw on the best of the past to better secure the courts’ ability to deliver justice in the future, we will continue to enable our judges to do right by all without fear or favour.
Speaking of doing right by all, of the wide reach of the law, and back to football. It obviously has been already quite the season of penalties. A penalty in the law is a provision that exacts an excessive punitive sum for a breach of contract and is disproportionate to the loss suffered. Something that officials at the World Cup might like to bear in mind as we ride through the knock-out stages.
For tonight though, my Lady Mayor, on behalf of His Majesty’s judges, it is a real pleasure to be able to thank you and the City for this great and generous occasion, for all your support. Thank you.
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