More judges appointed to the High Court

Five more High Court judges have been appointed, with a further five expected to be announced in the next few months.

The five candidates, who will take up office on 1 October, are Sarah Falk, Judith Farbey QC, Edward Murray, Her Honour Judge Johannah Cutts QC and His Honour Judge David Waksman QC.

They will all sit in the Queen’s Bench Division, apart from Sarah Falk, who will sit in the Chancery Division. They will replace judges who are retiring or moving to the Court of Appeal.

However, these five appointments and the anticipated five appointments in the next few months will not be enough to resolve the current shortage of High Court judges.

Last week at a judges’ dinner in Mansion House, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Burnett called for ‘urgent action’ to resolve the ‘unsustainable’ shortage of judges in the civil courts. He pointed out that the High Court currently has 93 judges, 15 less than the 108 required, and the next influx of judges in the autumn would not be enough to make up the shortfall.

‘That shortfall followed and largely resulted from the steady erosion of judicial terms and conditions,’ he said.

‘We face a real prospect next year of having to operate with about 80% of the complement. That is unsustainable.

‘There is an urgent need to act now if we are to avoid serious and lasting damage to the High Court and to the international position of the jurisdiction of England and Wales, with knock on consequences for the professional services industry and the City.’