Lady Justice May
Court of Appeal Civil DivisionCourt of Appeal Criminal DivisionBiographies
Lady Justice Juliet May worked as a forensic clinical psychologist before retraining as a barrister.
She was called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1988, becoming a bencher in 2010. Her practice was in commercial work, particularly banking, insurance and professional negligence.
She became a Recorder in 2001, a chair of Mental Health Tribunals in 2002 and took silk in 2008, being appointed to the Circuit Bench later the same year.
From 2008 to 2015 she sat in crime at Wood Green and Southwark Crown Courts and in civil/chancery at Central London County Court.
She was appointed a Deputy High Court Judge in 2013 and to the High Court Bench (Queen’s Bench Division) in December 2015. She was a Presiding Judge on the Western Circuit from 2017 to 2020 and was appointed as Judicial Lead for Youth Justice for England and Wales in November 2022.
She joined the Sentencing Council as a judicial member in October 2020 and was appointed as Chair of the Sentencing Council with effect from Monday 6 October 2025.
She was sworn in as a judge of the Court of Appeal on Thursday 13 November 2025.