# Victoria Sharp

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British jurist (born 1956)

The Right Honourable Dame Victoria Sharp DBE Sharp in 2019 President of the King's Bench Division Incumbent Assumed office 23 June 2019 Monarchs Elizabeth II Charles III Preceded by Sir Brian Leveson Lady Justice of Appeal In office 2013–2019 Justice of the High Court In office 2009–2013 Personal details Born Victoria Madeleine Sharp (1956-02-08) 8 February 1956 (age 70) Alma mater University of Bristol[1]

**Dame Victoria Madeleine Sharp**, [DBE](/source/Dame_Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (born 8 February 1956) is a British judge. She has been the President of the [King's Bench Division](/source/King's_Bench_Division) of the [High Court of Justice](/source/High_Court_of_Justice) since 2019.

## Early life and education

She is the daughter of [The Lord Sharp of Grimsdyke](/source/Eric_Sharp%2C_Baron_Sharp_of_Grimsdyke).[2] Her twin brother is [Richard Sharp](/source/Richard_Sharp_(banker)), a former [Goldman Sachs](/source/Goldman_Sachs) banker, and former [Chairman of the BBC](/source/Chairman_of_the_BBC).[3][4] She is of Jewish faith.[4][5] She was educated at [North London Collegiate School](/source/North_London_Collegiate_School) and the [University of Bristol](/source/University_of_Bristol).[6][7]

## Career

Sharp was [called to the Bar](/source/Call_to_the_bar) by the [Inner Temple](/source/Inner_Temple) in 1979 and joined 1 Brick Court in 1982, mainly practising in defamation and media law. She became a [Recorder](/source/Recorder_(judge)) in 1998, and a [QC](/source/Queen's_Counsel) in 2001.[6]

She was appointed [Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire), as is customary, on her appointment as a Justice of the High Court on 13 January 2009.[8]

She was Presiding Judge of the Western Circuit from 2012 to 2013, and was appointed a [Lady Justice of Appeal](/source/Lady_Justice_of_Appeal) in 2013.[9] She became [Vice-President of the Queen's Bench Division](/source/Vice-President_of_the_Queen's_Bench_Division) on 1 January 2016, succeeding Sir [Nigel Davis](/source/Nigel_Davis). She became [President of the Queen's Bench Division](/source/President_of_the_Queen's_Bench_Division) from 23 June 2019[10] succeeding [Sir Brian Leveson](/source/Sir_Brian_Leveson).[10]

In 2023, it was reported that she was on the final shortlist to become [Lord Chief Justice](/source/Lord_Chief_Justice_of_England_and_Wales), alongside [Dame Sue Carr](/source/Sue_Carr%2C_Baroness_Carr_of_Walton-on-the-Hill), who was selected for the post.[11]

On 14 January 2026, it was announced that she will be retiring from her role as President of the King's Bench Division and as a judge in October 2026.[12]

On 13 February 2026, Sharp ruled in favour of the [Palestine Action](/source/Palestine_Action) ban being considered unlawful.[4]

## Personal life

Sharp married a doctor; she had four children within five years. Nevertheless, she remained in full-time law practice during those years, not taking leave. "She was convinced that if she had not dedicated herself to her job as she did by rejecting any leave on the birth of any of her children, she would have been significantly disadvantaged; as she puts it, "if you were not there in Chambers, you did not receive briefs and you had no job."[13]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Biographies of the Court of Appeal judges"](https://www.judiciary.uk/you-and-the-judiciary/going-to-court/court-of-appeal-home/coa-biogs/). *www.judiciary.uk*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** *Who's Who 2019*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Guardian_3-0)** Bland, Archie (6 January 2021). ["Former Goldman Sachs banker Richard Sharp to be next BBC chairman"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jan/06/former-goldman-sachs-banker-richard-sharp-to-be-next-bbc-chairman). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 6 January 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Tel_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Tel_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Tel_4-2) Bolton, Will (13 February 2026). ["The senior Jewish judge who ruled in favour of Palestine Action"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/13/jewish-judge-in-favour-palestine-action-victoria-sharp-uk/). *Daily Telegraph*. Retrieved 14 February 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Former banker Richard Sharp to take over as BBC chairman"](https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/former-banker-richard-sharp-to-take-over-as-bbc-chairman/). *Jewish News, Times of Israel*. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-judiciary_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-judiciary_6-1) ["Appointment of Deputy Head of Criminal Justice"](https://www.judiciary.uk/announcements/appointment-of-deputy-head-of-criminal-justice/). *www.judiciary.uk*. 7 February 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Profile](https://www.theguardian.com/law/2013/mar/28/three-women-seven-men-court-of-appeal), theguardian.com; accessed 26 March 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [England & Wales Senior Judiciary](http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/about-the-judiciary/judges-magistrates-and-tribunal-judges/list-of-members-of-the-judiciary/senior-judiciary-list) [Deprecated link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Archive.today_guidance) archived 3 August 2012 at [archive.today](/source/Archive.today); accessed 26 March 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Appointment of the President of the Queen's Bench Division"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190408162153/https://www.judiciary.uk/announcements/appointment-of-the-president-of-the-queens-bench-division-2/). *Courts and Tribunals Judiciary*. Archived from [the original](https://www.judiciary.uk/announcements/appointment-of-the-president-of-the-queens-bench-division-2/) on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-auto_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-auto_10-1) ["Press release Appointment of the President of the Queen's Bench Division: 5 April 2019"](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/appointment-of-the-president-of-the-queens-bench-division-5-april-2019). *Prime Minister's Press Office*. Retrieved 5 April 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Hymas, Charles (8 June 2023). ["First ever female Lord Chief Justice to be named"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/08/lord-chief-justice-dame-victoria-sharp-sue-carr-shortlist/). *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["President of the King's Bench Division to retire from the judiciary"](https://www.judiciary.uk/president-of-the-kings-bench-division-to-retire-from-the-judiciary/). *Courts and Tribunals Judiciary*. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-University_of_Bristol_13-0)** Clarke, David (15 July 2014). ["Rt Hon. Lady Justice Sharp, DBE"](https://www.bristol.ac.uk/graduation/honorary-degrees/hondeg14/sharp.html). *University of Bristol*. Retrieved 6 January 2021.

v t e Judges of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales Ex officio members The Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill (Lady Chief Justice) Sir Geoffrey Vos (Master of the Rolls) Dame Victoria Sharp (President, King's Bench Division) Sir Stephen Cobb (President, Family Division) Sir Colin Birss (Chancellor) Lord Justices Lewison Bean Moylan Jackson Newey Singh Coulson Baker Haddon-Cave Green Males Arnold Popplewell Dingemans Phillips Stuart-Smith Lewis Nugee Edis Warby Fraser Baker Holgate Zacaroli Miles Dove Foxton Lady Justices King Thirlwall Asplin Andrews Laing Whipple Falk Yip Cockerill May

v t e Judges of the King's Bench Division of England and Wales For brevity, the words "Mr/Mrs Justice" have been omitted from judges' titles. Division heads President Dame Victoria Sharp Vice-President Lord Justice Dingemans Puisne judges Baker Bennathan Bourne Bright Bryan Butcher Calver Cavanagh Chamberlain Cheema-Grubb Choudhury Cockerill Collins Rice Constable Cotter Cutts D. Dias J. Dias Dove Eady Ellenbogen Eyre Farbey Fordham Foster Foxton Freedman Garnham Goose Goss Griffiths Henshaw Hill Hilliard Jacobs Jay Jefford Johnson Kerr J. Knowles R. Knowles Lambert Lang Lavender Linden May McGowan Morris Murray Nicklin O'Farrell Pepperall Picken Ritchie Saini Sheldon Soole Spencer Stacey Steyn Sweeting Swift Thornton Tipples Turner Waksman Wall Williams Yip

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