Head of the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales
This article is part of the series: Courts of England and Wales
Law of England and Wales
Administration
Ministry of Justice
Lord Chancellor
His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service
Judges' Council
Civil and family courts
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Privy Council
Court of Appeal
Master of the Rolls
Court of Appeal judge
High Court of Justice
President of the King's Bench
President of the Family Division
Chancellor of the High Court
High Court judge
County Court
List of County Court venues
County Court Business Centre
District judge
Family Court
Court of Protection
Court of Chivalry
Criminal courts
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Court of Appeal
Lord Chief Justice
Court of Appeal judge
High Court of Justice
President of the King's Bench
High Court judge
Crown Court
List of Crown Court venues
Circuit judge
Recorder
Magistrates' courts
District judge
Justice of the peace / lay magistrates
Criminal prosecution
Attorney General
Director of Public Prosecutions
Crown Prosecution Service
Legal profession
Bar Council
Barrister
Law Society of England and Wales
Solicitor
Solicitor advocate
v
t
e
The Chancellor of the High Court is the head of the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. This judge and the other two heads of divisions (Family and King's Bench) sit by virtue of their offices often, as and when their expertise is deemed relevant, in a panel in the Court of Appeal. As such this judge ranks equally to the President of the Family Division and the President of the King's Bench Division.
From 1813 to 1841, the solitary and from 1841 to 1875, the three ordinary judges of the Court of Chancery — rarely a court of first instance until 1855 – were called vice-chancellors. The more senior judges of the same court were the Lord Chancellor and the Master of the Rolls (who were moved fully to the Court of Appeal above in 1881). Each would occasionally hear cases alone or make declarations on paper applications alone. Partly due to the old system of many pre-pleadings, pleadings, and hearings before most cases would reach Chancery the expense and duration of proceedings was pilloried in art and literature before the reforms of the late 19th century. Charles Dickens set Bleak House around raised hopes in (Jarndyce and Jarndyce) a near-incomprehensible, decades-long case in Chancery, involving a decision on an increasingly old will which was rendered useless as all of the deceased's wealth was – unknowingly to the prospective beneficiaries – absorbed in legal costs. Reform swiftly followed.
Certain 1870s to 1899 Acts (the Judicature Acts) merged the courts of law and those of equity and enacted a halt to the position of vice-chancellor – which lasted from 1875 until 1971.
From 1971 until October 2005,[1] the revived high judicial office was called the Vice-Chancellorship (and the judge bore the title Vice-Chancellor). The holder nominally acted as the Lord Chancellor's deputy in the English legal system and as head of the Chancery Division. The key duties of this judge have not changed in substance since 1971.
^when relevant parts of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 took effect
and 22 Related for: Chancellor of the High Court information
Chancellor (Latin: cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the cancellarii...
by the Lord Chancellor, but was in practice delegated to the Vice-Chancellor. The Vice-Chancellor was renamed ChancelloroftheHighCourt when the Lord...
Flaux PC (born 11 May 1955) is theChancelloroftheHighCourt. Flaux was born on 11 May 1955 and was educated at the King's School, Worcester. He studied...
Division ChancelloroftheHighCourt Supreme Court judges appointed from theCourtof Appeal or who were eligible to serve on it when appointed to the Supreme...
guardianship of infants. Its initial role differed somewhat: as an extension ofthe lord chancellor's role as Keeper ofthe King's Conscience, thecourt was an...
The Judiciary of England and Wales contains many levels, based on thecourt in which the judge sits. Titles are given to judges relating to their position...
over a case. TheCourt sits without a jury. All issues of fact are determined by the presiding Chancellor or Vice Chancellor. TheCourt has the discretion...
rights of audience, increasingly in the higher courts such as theHighCourtof Justice of England and Wales and theCourtof Appeal. While the independent...
courtof first instance for the trials of peers and for impeachments, and as a courtof last resort in the United Kingdom and prior, the Kingdom of Great...
of President ofthe Supreme Courtofthe United Kingdom and altering the duties ofthe lord chief justice and the lord chancellor. The lord chief justice...
was President ofthe European Network of Councils for the Judiciary between 2014 and June 2016. He became ChancelloroftheHighCourt on 24 October 2016...
from the Crown Court lies by way of case stated to a Divisional CourtoftheHighCourt. The judges who normally sit in the Crown Court are HighCourt judges...
The Chancellorofthe Exchequer, independently head oftheCourtof Chancery, was also involved in the Exchequer of Pleas as a check on the Lord High Treasurer...
Thechancellorofthe Republic of Austria (German: Bundeskanzler der Republik Österreich) is the head of government ofthe Republic of Austria. The position...
General Assembly passed a law creating theHighCourtof Chancery during its October 1777 session. TheCourt met in the state capitol and was given jurisdiction...
Global Information