New Chair of the Sentencing Council: appointment of Mrs Justice May
Court of Appeal Criminal DivisionCriminalCrown CourtMagistrates' courtNews
The Honourable Mrs Justice May has been appointed as Chair of the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, with effect from Monday 6 October 2025. She is to be sworn in as a judge of the Court of Appeal on Thursday 13 November 2025.
Her appointment was made by the Lady Chief Justice with the agreement of the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, David Lammy MP, and is for an initial period of three years.
The Lady Chief Justice and President of the Sentencing Council, the Rt Hon the Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, said: “I am delighted that Mrs Justice May has been appointed to this important role. Her considerable experience as a criminal judge and leader makes her very well placed to lead the Sentencing Council during a time of essential reform for the criminal justice system.”
Mrs Justice May said: “I wish to pay tribute to my immediate predecessors in the role of Chair: Sir Tim Holroyde and the late Sir William (Bill) Davis. I, and a great many others, have profited hugely from their knowledge and wisdom.
“Sentencing guidelines help to make the sentencing process transparent and understandable to the wider public. The guidelines produced by the Council, following consultation, aim to ensure a fair and consistent approach to sentencing. Magistrates and judges value them very highly. Guidelines also contribute importantly to the efficient working of the courts.
“I am looking forward to leading the Council as it continues to do this important work and provide this valuable service.”
Mrs Justice 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 and insurance. 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 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 was appointed a judicial member of the Sentencing Council on 8 October 2020.