Chancellor of the High Court, Sir Julian Flaux, starts his appointment

Sir Julian Flaux has officially started his appointment as the Chancellor of the High Court, following the elevation of Sir Geoffrey Vos as Master of the Rolls.

The Chancellor of the High Court is one of the most senior judges in England and Wales and, in consultation with the President of the Queen’s Bench Division, holds day-to-day responsibility for the operation of the Business & Property Courts in England and Wales. The Chancellor also hears cases in the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal.

The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Burnett of Maldon, gave a speech at the swearing in ceremony on Thursday, welcoming Sir Julian to his new role, he said: “Both in his time at the bar and since then on the bench Sir Julian has demonstrated his extraordinary legal capacity as a real legal omnivore.  In all his leadership roles he has shown enthusiasm, energy and the necessary sensitivity towards others with whom he dealt.  Those skills will enable him to continue the work of his predecessor in leading the Chancery Division whilst maintaining the Business and Property Courts as an international beacon of excellence not only in London, but across the country.”

The full speech can be found below.

Biography

Sir Julian Flaux was called to the Bar in 1978 and took Silk in 1994.  He started his judicial career as a Recorder in 2000.  He was appointed a Deputy High Court Judge in 2002 and a High Court Judge (Queen’s Bench Division) in 2007.  He was the Judge in Charge of the Commercial Court between 2014 and 2015 and a Presiding Judge on the Midland Circuit between 2010 and 2013.  In 2016, he was appointed President of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.  He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2016.  He has been Supervising Judge of the Commercial Court since 2020.