Dame Victoria Sharp retires as King's Bench President

Dame Victoria Sharp concluded her service as President of the King’s Bench Division and Deputy Head of Criminal Justice on 30 September 2026. She was the first woman to hold the position of President, a role she assumed in 2019. The King's Bench Division is the largest division within the High Court.

Advocacy for Modernisation

During her seven years leading the division, Dame Victoria championed reforms aimed at greater transparency and modernisation within the justice system. This included supporting the livestreaming of proceedings in the Court of Appeal and the broadcasting of sentencing remarks in the Crown Court. Her leadership also saw the transition from paper-based systems to digital case management with the introduction of CE File in 2019. The division demonstrated resilience during the covid pandemic, adapting working methods to ensure the continuous administration of justice, a feat noted by the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary as making England and Wales one of few jurisdictions globally to maintain criminal court sittings.

Judicial Career Highlights

Dame Victoria's judicial career included sitting in the Court of Appeal and the Divisional Court since 2013. In these roles, she presided over numerous significant cases, delivering judgments on a wide range of civil and criminal matters. These included appeals related to the sentencing of Wayne Couzens, the manslaughter conviction of those involved in the death of PC Harper, and legal challenges concerning the use of facial recognition and tracking technologies. She also considered cases on national police guidance for non-crime hate incidents, the extradition of Julian Assange, and the misuse of artificial intelligence by legal professionals.

Dame Victoria began her judicial career as a Recorder in 1998, becoming a Deputy High Court Judge in 2008 and a High Court Judge in 2009. She served as a Presiding Judge on the Western Circuit from 2012 to 2013 before her appointment as a Lady Justice of Appeal in 2013. She became Vice-President of the King’s Bench Division in January 2016, preceding her appointment as President.

Dame Victoria has also recently addressed emerging issues, including reflections on the risks and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence in the justice system. Her final day in judicial office was 30 September 2026.