Victoria Sharp
Dame Victoria Sharp | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sharp in 2019 | |
| President of the King's Bench Division | |
| Assumed office 23 June 2019 | |
| Monarchs | Elizabeth II Charles III |
| Preceded by | Sir Brian Leveson |
| Lady Justice of Appeal | |
| In office 2013–2019 | |
| Justice of the High Court | |
| In office 2009–2013 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Victoria Madeleine Sharp 8 February 1956 |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University of Bristol[1] |
Dame Victoria Madeleine Sharp, DBE, PC (born 8 February 1956) is a British barrister and judge. She has been the President of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice since 2019.
Early life[edit]
She is the daughter of The Lord Sharp of Grimsdyke.[2] Her twin brother is Richard Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker, and former Chairman of the BBC.[3] She is Jewish.[4] She was educated at North London Collegiate School and the University of Bristol.[5][6]
Career[edit]
Sharp was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple in 1979 and joined 1 Brick Court in 1982, mainly practising in defamation and media law. She became a Recorder in 1998, and a QC in 2001.[5]
She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE), as is customary, on her appointment as a Justice of the High Court on 13 January 2009.[7]
She was Presiding Judge of the Western Circuit from 2012 to 2013, and was appointed a Lady Justice of Appeal in 2013.[8] She became Vice-President of the Queen's Bench Division on 1 January 2016, succeeding Sir Nigel Davis. She became President of the Queen's Bench Division from 23 June 2019[9] succeeding Sir Brian Leveson.[9]
In 2023, it was reported that she was on the final shortlist to become Lord Chief Justice, alongside Dame Sue Carr, who was selected for the post.[10]
Personal life[edit]
Sharp married a doctor; she had four children within five years. Nevertheless, she remained in full-time law practice during those years, not taking leave. "She was convinced that if she had not dedicated herself to her job as she did by rejecting any leave on the birth of any of her children, she would have been significantly disadvantaged; as she puts it, "if you were not there in Chambers, you did not receive briefs and you had no job."[11]
References[edit]
- ^ "Biographies of the Court of Appeal judges". www.judiciary.uk.
- ^ Who's Who 2019.
- ^ Bland, Archie (6 January 2021). "Former Goldman Sachs banker Richard Sharp to be next BBC chairman". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ Reporter, Jewish News. "Former banker Richard Sharp to take over as BBC chairman". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Appointment of Deputy Head of Criminal Justice". www.judiciary.uk.
- ^ Profile, theguardian.com; accessed 26 March 2014.
- ^ England & Wales Senior Judiciary; accessed 26 March 2014.
- ^ "Appointment of the President of the Queen's Bench Division". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- ^ a b "Press release Appointment of the President of the Queen's Bench Division: 5 April 2019". Prime Minister's Press Office. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- ^ Hymas, Charles (8 June 2023). "First ever female Lord Chief Justice to be named". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ Clarke, David (15 July 2014). "Rt Hon. Lady Justice Sharp, DBE". University of Bristol. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
| Ex officio members | _(Tudor_Crown).svg) | |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Justices | ||
| Lady Justices | ||
For brevity, the words "Mr/Mrs Justice" have been omitted from judges' titles. | ||
| Division heads |  | |
| Puisne judges |
| |
- 1956 births
- Living people
- Alumni of the University of Bristol
- English King's Counsel
- English women judges
- Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- Daughters of life peers
- Queen's Bench Division judges
- 21st-century King's Counsel
- People educated at North London Collegiate School
- Lady Justices of Appeal
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- 21st-century British women judges
- 21st-century English judges