We were saddened to learn of the death of Sir James Munby

Sir James Munby served on the Court of Appeal for many years, and was a highly distinguished President of the Family Division, the UK's most senior family law judge. He was known for holding the state to account for its failures to protect the young and vulnerable.

Born in 1948, Sir James attended Magdalen College School before studying at Wadham (Law, 1967). He was called to the bar by Middle Temple in 1971, practised at New Square Chambers and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1988.

Appointed to the High Court in 2000, Sir James was assigned to the family division and also authorised to sit in the Administrative Court. In 2009 he became chairman of the Law Commission and was made a Lord Justice of Appeal in the same year. In 2013 he succeeded Sir Nicholas Wall as president of the Family Division.

Sir James retired as president of the Family Division of the High Court in 2018 after five years in office. He went on to serve as chairman of the board of the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory from 2018 to 2023, and remained actively involved in family law matters until his death.

The Chair of the Bar, Kirsty Brimelow KC, said:

‘Sir James Munby’s judicial career was distinguished and marked by moral clarity and compassion for the vulnerable. His judgments often were likened to writings of Charles Dickens as he railed against and sought to remedy social injustice. And he did just that, one case at a time.’

Sir James was made an Honorary Fellow of Wadham in 2011. His fellow student, Joshua Rozenberg (Law, 1968), shared further thoughts about Sir James's life and career and the difference he made to the lives of others in this obituary.

Our thoughts are with Sir James's family at this time.