Master of the Rolls announces forthcoming retirement from the judiciary

Chancellor of the High CourtMaster of the RollsSir Geoffrey VosNews

Sir Geoffrey Vos has announced today (Monday 12 January) that he will retire from the judiciary and as Master of the Rolls on 31 October 2026.

Appointed to the position in 2021, Sir Geoffrey is the Head of Civil Justice and the second most senior judge in England and Wales after the Lady Chief Justice.

As Master of the Rolls, an office that dates back to at least the 13th century, Sir Geoffrey is also President of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal, with responsibility for the deployment and organisation of judges’ work within it. He is regularly consulted on matters relating to the civil justice system and has played a leading role in efforts to modernise and digitalise the courts.

Sir Geoffrey will have sat in the Court of Appeal for 13 years, hearing some of the most complex and legally significant civil, family and tribunal cases.

In addition to this extensive caseload and wide administrative responsibilities, the Master of the Rolls also chairs of a number of bodies, including The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (external link), the Civil Justice Council and The Advisory Council on National Records and Archives (external link) and Online Procedure Rule Committee (external link).

Sir Geoffrey is also a member of the LawtechUK Panel and chairs the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce and International Jurisdiction Taskforce which have been at the forefront of establishing clarity on the legal status of and legal principles applicable to new technologies.

By the end of October 2026, Sir Geoffrey will have spent a decade in senior judicial leadership, having served as Chancellor of the High Court between 2016 and 2021 and then as Master of the Rolls.

Sir Geoffrey said: “I have very much enjoyed being the Master of the Rolls, particularly in working with colleagues across the judiciary and in the court of appeal – both current and those who have retired. I very much hope that I have contributed towards improving and modernising both civil justice and our judiciary and I will continue that work for the coming 10 months. I am sure that those efforts will continue under the inspiring leadership of the Lady Chief Justice.”

The Lady Chief Justice, Baroness Carr, said: “Sir Geoffrey retires at the end of October after a long and distinguished judicial career, including four years as Chancellor of the High Court and almost six years as Master of the Rolls. He has been a tireless advocate for a modern and digitised civil justice system, setting a progressive course and encouraging court users and the judiciary to follow. He spoke enthusiastically of blockchain, AI and cryptocurrencies well before the terms were commonplace, and he has long been a (and was possibly the first) paperless judge, demonstrating digital justice in action.”

Background

  • The Master of the Rolls is appointed by His Majesty The King on the recommendation of a selection panel convened by the Judicial Appointments Commission. More information on the position and appointment process can be found on the Master of the Rolls webpage.
  • Read further details on the website about Sir Geoffrey Vos and his career.