The Lady Chief Justice delivered the 7th Annual Toulson Memorial Lecture at the University of Surrey on Wednesday 4th March 2026.
The lecture reflects on Lord Toulson’s contribution to the common law, describing it as an evolving “conversation” shaped by judges over time. It focuses on three central themes: clarity, principled development, and intellectual openness.
She also reflected on her years at 4 New Square Chambers, recalling her time alongside Lord Toulson and other leading practitioners, including Sir Rupert Jackson, and the set’s evolution into a leading commercial chambers.
The Lady Chief Justice, Sue Carr, was a member of 4 New Square Chambers between 1988 and 2013, before joining the High Court Bench, where she sat in the Queen’s Bench Division and later the Court of Appeal. In October 2023, she was appointed Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales.
Read the full lecture here.
