# Caroline Swift

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{{Short description|British barrister and former High Court judge}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name             = Dame Caroline Swift
| honorific_suffix = [DBE](/source/Dame_Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire)
| image            = Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom (St. Edward's Crown).svg
| image_size       = 150px
| caption          = <small>[Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom](/source/Royal_coat_of_arms_of_the_United_Kingdom)</small>
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1955|05|30}}
| birth_place      = 
| death_date       = 
| death_place      = 
| resting_place    = 
| birth_name       = Caroline Jane Swift
| spouse           = [Peter Openshaw](/source/Peter_Openshaw_(judge))
| alma_mater       = [St Aidan's College](/source/St_Aidan's_College%2C_Durham), [Durham](/source/Durham_University)
| occupation       = [Judge](/source/Judge)
| profession       = [Barrister](/source/Barristers_in_England_and_Wales)
| office           = [Justice of the High Court](/source/High_Court_judge_(England_and_Wales))
| term_start       = 2005
| term_end         = 2015 
}}

'''Dame Caroline Jane Swift, Lady Openshaw''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|DBE|size=100}} (born 30 May 1955),<ref name=Birth>{{cite web|title=Birthday's today|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/archive/2013-5-30.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530160907/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/archive/2013-5-30.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 May 2013|publisher=The Telegraph|accessdate=28 May 2014|date=30 May 2013|quote=Mrs Justice Swift, 58}}</ref> formerly styled '''The Hon. Mrs Justice Swift''', is a British barrister and former [High Court judge](/source/High_Court_judge_(England_and_Wales)). She was leading counsel to the Inquiry in the [Shipman Inquiry](/source/Harold_Shipman), which began in 2001.<ref>[http://www.tamesideadvertiser.co.uk/shipman/march98/s/81/81945_introduction.html Tameside Advertiser] article ''Shipman Inquiry counsel Caroline Swift QC'' published 16 July 2002; accessed 7 June 2007.</ref>

==Education==
Swift was educated at [St Aidan's College](/source/St_Aidan's_College%2C_Durham), [Durham University](/source/Durham_University)<ref>[http://www.burkespeerage.com/FamilyHomepage.aspx?FID=13300 Profile], burkespeerage.com; accessed 29 March 2016.</ref> where she was the President of the [Durham Union Society](/source/Durham_Union_Society).

==Career==
She was called to the Bar by the [Inner Temple](/source/Inner_Temple) in 1977. The following year she began practising on the [Northern Circuit](/source/Northern_Circuit), later becoming Assistant Recorder from 1992 until 1995, and [QC](/source/Queen's_Counsel) in 1993. She became a [Recorder](/source/Recorder_(judge)) in 1995, and was elected a [Bencher](/source/Bencher) of the Inner Temple in 1997.<ref>[http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page8467.asp "DBE Appointment of Caroline Swift QC and Julia Macur QC"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201201151/http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page8467.asp |date=December 1, 2008 }}, pm.gov.uk; published 4 November 2005; accessed 7 June 2007.</ref>

On 4 November 2005, Swift was created a [DBE](/source/Dame_Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) upon her appointment as a [Justice of the High Court](/source/High_Court_judge_(England_and_Wales)) ([Queen's Bench Division](/source/Queen's_Bench_Division)). Her husband, Sir [Peter Openshaw](/source/Peter_Openshaw_(judge)), is also a High Court Judge, and was sworn in on the same day.<ref name=bbc_married>"{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/4297694.stm |title=Married judges make legal history |work=BBC News |date=30 September 2005 |accessdate=7 July 2017}}</ref>

Swift retired from the High Court on 1 August 2015.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/announcements/high-court-retirement-of-the-honourable-dame-caroline-jane-swift-dbe/ |title=High Court: Retirement of The Honourable Dame Caroline Jane Swift DBE |website=www.judiciary.gov.uk |date=1 August 2015 |accessdate=7 July 2017}}</ref> From 1 January 2017 Swift was appointed to the position of chair of the [Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service](/source/Medical_Practitioners_Tribunal_Service).<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.mpts-uk.org/about/news/11160.asp |title=High Court judge made new chair of doctors' tribunal service |publisher=[Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service](/source/Medical_Practitioners_Tribunal_Service) |date=31 August 2016 |accessdate=8 July 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
* [List of Durham University people](/source/List_of_Durham_University_people)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, Caroline}}
Category:1955 births
Category:Living people
Category:Alumni of St Aidan's College, Durham
Category:English King's Counsel
Category:English women judges
Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Queen's Bench Division judges
Category:20th-century King's Counsel
Category:21st-century King's Counsel
Category:Members of the Inner Temple
Category:Presidents of the Durham Union
Category:20th-century English women
Category:20th-century English people
Category:Lawyers awarded damehoods

{{UK-law-bio-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Caroline Swift](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_Swift) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_Swift?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.