High Court Judges
Find out more below about the High Court Judges of the Chancery Division
Mrs Justice Bacon
Mrs Justice Bacon was called to the Bar in 1998. She became a Deputy High Court Judge in 2017. She was appointed as a High Court Judge in the Chancery Division in October 2020. She is the youngest woman ever to be appointed as a full time High Court Judge. In February 2022, she was appointed as the President of the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber). She also hears cases in the Patents Court.
Clerk: Sophia Marine
Contact: Sophia.marine@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Fancourt
Mr Justice Fancourt was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1987. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2003. In 2009 he became a Recorder (Crime) in 2009. He was appointed a Deputy High Court Judge in 2013 and as a High Court Judge assigned to the Chancery Division in 2017. He was President of the Lands Chamber of the Upper Tribunal from 2019 to 2022. He was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster in 2021, and Supervising Judge in the North and North-East. He also hears cases in the Patents Court.
Clerk: Ahlia Rateb
Contact: Ahlia.Rateb@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Michael Green
Mr Justice Michael Green was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1987. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2009. He was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2018. In 2019, he sat as a High Court Judge in the Commercial Court of the British Virgin Islands. He was appointed as a High Court Judge, assigned to the Chancery Division, in 2019.
Clerk: Supriya Saleem
Contact: Supriya.Saleem@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Hildyard
Mr Justice Hildyard was called to the Bar (by the Inner Temple) in 1977. He was Junior Counsel to the Crown (Chancery) from 1992 to 1994 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 1994. He was a member of the Financial Reporting Review Panel from 2002 to 2006. He was a deputy judge of the High Court from 2001 until 2011, and the Attorney General to the Duchy of Lancaster from 2006 to 2011. He became a Judge of the High Court, assigned to the Chancery Division, in 2011. He also hears cases in the Financial List.
Clerk: Iain Wakil
Contact: iain.wakil@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Adam Johnson
Mr Justice Adam Johnson qualified as a solicitor at Herbert Smith in 1990. He became a partner in 1997. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2017 and Deputy High Court Judge in 2018. He became a Judge of the High Court, assigned to the Chancery Division, in 2021.
Clerk: Casey Ford
Contact: casey.ford@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Edwin Johnson
Mr Justice Edwin Johnson was called to the Bar in 1987. He specialised in all aspects of real property law. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2006. He became a Deputy High Court Judge in 2017. He was appointed a Judge of the High Court, assigned to the Chancery Division, in 2021.
Clerk: Lewis Hill
Contact: lewis.hill@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Leech
Mr Justice Leech was called to the Bar in 1988. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2010. In 2014, he became a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills. He became a Deputy High Court Judge in 2019 and was appointed a High Court Judge of the Chancery Division in 2021.
Clerk: Paul Byrne
Contact: paul.byrne1@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Meade
Mr Justice Meade was called to the Bar in 1991. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2008. He became a Recorder in 2009 and a Deputy High Court Judge in 2011. He became a Judge of the High Court, assigned to the Chancery Division, in 2020. He is the Judge in charge of Intellectual Property and he also sits in the Patents Court.
Clerk: Pauline Drewett
Contact: Pauline.drewett@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Mellor
Mr Justice Mellor was called to the Bar in 1986. He was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge 2020, as an Appointed Person, Trademark Tribunals in 2015 and as an Appointed Person Design Tribunals in 2015. He was a member of the disability panel of the Bar Council from 1999 until 2005. He became a Judge of the High Court, assigned to the Chancery Division, in 2021. He also sits in the Patents Court.
Clerk: Susan Woolley
Contact: susan.woolley@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Miles
Mr Justice Miles was called to the Bar in 1987. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2002. He was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2006. He became a Judge of the High Court, assigned to the Chancery Division, in 2020. He also hears cases in the Financial List.
Clerk: Hannah Wood
Contact: hannah.wood@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Rajah
Mr Justice Rajah was called to the Bar in 1989. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2011. He was appointed a Recorder in 2016. He was chair of the Chancery Bar Association from 2018 to 2020. He was given s9(1) authorisation to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge of the Chancery Division in 2020. He was appointed a Judge of the High Court, assigned to the Chancery Division in April 2023.
Clerk: Sara Galdem
Contact: sara.galdem@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Richards
After attending state schools in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, Jonathan studied Mathematics at Oxford. He was the first in his family to go to university. He qualified as a solicitor at a leading City firm, practising tax law, and was elected as a partner in 2005.
After a brief spell at Ernst & Young, Jonathan became a full-time judge in the First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) in 2015 and was promoted to the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber) in 2018. In 2020, he was appointed as a s9(4) Deputy High Court Judge sitting in the Chancery Division.
Clerk: Razia Miah
Contact: razia.miah@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Roth
Mr Justice Roth was called to the Bar in 1977. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 1997. He was appointed a Recorder in 2000. He became a Judge of the High Court, Chancery Division, in 2009. He is the former President of the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal, having been succeeded by Mr Justice Marcus Smith in November 2021, and is currently President of the European Association of Competition Law Judges.
Clerk: Ava Tranter
Contact: ava.tranter1@justice.gov.uk
Mrs Justice Joanna Smith
Mrs Justice Joanna Smith was called to the Bar in 1990. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2009, and a Deputy High Court Judge in 2017. She became a Judge of the High Court, assigned to the Chancery Division, in 2021. She also sits in the Technology and Construction Court and the Patents Court. She has been the Chair of the Tribunal Procedure Committee since 2020.
Clerk: Caroline Reid
Contact: caroline.reid@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Marcus Smith
Mr Justice Marcus Smith was called to the Bar in 1991. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2010. He was appointed as a fee-paid Chairman of the Competition Appeal Tribunal in 2009. He became a Judge of the High Court, Chancery Division, in 2017. In November 2021, he succeeded Mr Justice Roth as the President of the Competition Appeal Tribunal. He also hears cases in the Financial List.
Clerk: Wendy Simpson
Contact: wendy.simpson@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Richard Smith
Mr Justice Richard Smith qualified as a solicitor in 1994, specialising in commercial litigation, arbitration and public inquiry work. He was appointed as a Recorder (crime) in 2018 (South Eastern Circuit) and Deputy High Court Judge in 2019 (authorised to sit in the Chancery and King’s Bench Divisions). He has also sat as a commercial arbitrator. In 2019, he returned to higher education, attending Cambridge University to study for the Master of Law degree. In 2023, he became a Judge of the High Court, assigned to the Chancery Division.
Clerk: Nicole Lee
Contact: Nicole.lee1@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Trower
Mr Justice Trower was called to the Bar in 1983. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2001 and became a Deputy High Court Judge in 2007. He became a High Court Judge assigned to the Chancery Division in 2019. He has been a member of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee since 2020. He also hears cases in the Financial List.
Clerk: Jas Kahlon
Contact: jas.kahlon@justice.gov.uk
Mr Justice Zacaroli
Mr Justice Zacaroli was called to the Bar in 1987. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2006. He was appointed a High Court Judge of the Chancery Division in 2017. He is currently the Supervising Judge in the Midlands, Wales and South-West. He also hears cases in the Patents Court and the Financial List.
Clerk: Gwilym Morris
Contact: Gwilym.morris2@justice.gov.uk