Leading judge welcomes seventh Tory Lord Chancellor in just under six years
Lord Burnett, the Lord Chief Justice, who is due to retire in the autumn, said he hoped Alex Chalk would be ‘my last’.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The most senior judge in England and Wales has told lawyers how the latest Lord Chancellor is the seventh he has worked with during just under six years in office.
Lord Burnett, the Lord Chief Justice, who is due to retire in the autumn, said he hoped Alex Chalk would be “my last”.
He was speaking as Mr Chalk – a barrister and Conservative MP for Cheltenham – was formally sworn in as Lord Chancellor on Wednesday.
Judges and lawyers welcomed Mr Chalk, who was appointed Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary on April 21, to his new role at a traditional ceremony in Court 4 at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
“You are my seventh in just under six years, albeit one twice,” said Lord Burnett, who became Lord Chief Justice in October 2017.
“I hope you are my last.”
Since October 2017 Britain has had four Conservative Prime Ministers – Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
Members of Mr Chalk’s family were at the ceremony to see him swear an oath of office.