Lady Justice Hallett DBE has been appointed as Vice President of the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, following consultation with the Lord Chancellor.
Biography
The Rt Hon Dame Heather Carol Hallett DBE born 16th December 1949. She was educated at grammar schools in Hampshire and at St Hugh’s College, Oxford. She was called to the Bar in 1972. In 1989 she became a QC and was appointed as a Recorder of the Crown Court. She became a Bencher of Inner Temple in 1993. She served as Leader of the South Eastern Circuit between 1995 and 1997 and as Director of Public Affairs for the Bar Council. She was the first woman to chair the Bar Council in 1998. Her practice was general common law with an emphasis on crime.
She became a full-time judge of the QBD in 1999 and became a Presiding Judge of the Western Circuit shortly thereafter. She was promoted to the Court of Appeal in 2005. She served on the Judicial Appointments Commission as an inaugural Commissioner and then as Vice Chairman for approximately 5 years.
She was Treasurer of the Inner Temple for 2011.
She has served as Chairman of the Magisterial Committee of the JSB and is currently Chairman of the Judicial College.
In 2011 she was appointed Vice-President of the Queen’s Bench Division.
Lady Justice Hallett acted as Coroner at the inquest into the deaths of the 52 victims of the July 7th London bombings.
She is married to a fellow lawyer, Nigel Wilkinson QC and has two sons.
