Etherton named as next Master of the Rolls

The Queen has approved the appointment of Sir Terence Etherton as Master of the Rolls, the President of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal in England, with effect from 3 October 2016. 

Lord Dyson, the present holder of the office, retires on 2 October.

Sir Terence Etherton was called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1974 and became a Queen’s Counsel in 1990. He was appointed a High Court Judge on 11 January 2001 and assigned to the Chancery Division.

In 2006, he was appointed chairman of the Law Commission for England & Wales. In 2008, he was promoted to Lord Justice of Appeal and in 2013 he became Chancellor of the High Court, head of the Chancery Division. In 2009, he was appointed President of the Council of the Inns of Court.

The Master of the Rolls is the second most senior judge (after the Lord Chief Justice) in England & Wales. In addition to a heavy caseload and administrative responsibilities, the office also conveys the chairmanship of a number of bodies, including the Civil Procedure Rule Committee, Civil Justice Council, Advisory Council on National records & Archives and the Magna Carta Trust.

The appointment was made by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor, following the recommendation of an independent selection panel chaired by Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, the Lord Chief Justice.