Six new judges of the Court of Appeal have been approved following the recommendation of an independent selection panel.

Mrs Justice Cockerill, Mr Justice Dove, Mr Justice Foxton, Mrs Justice May (pictured), Mr Justice Miles and Mrs Justice Yip will all become lord and lady justices of appeal. 

Mrs Justice May

Mrs Justice May

Source: Avalon

The appointments will fill existing vacancies within the Court of Appeal.

All six are barristers and KCs who were called to the bar between 1986 and 1991. Each was eligible for selection after serving a minimum of seven years as judges of the High Court.

The selection panel was chaired by the lady chief justice Baroness Carr. The other panel members were the master of the rolls Sir Geoffrey Vos; Helen Pitcher OBE (chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission); and two lay judicial appointments commissioners, Susan Hoyle and the Rt Rev Dr Barry Morgan.

Meanwhile, Lord Justice Colin Birss will be appointed as chancellor of the High Court from 1 November, following the retirement of Sir Julian Flaux.

He has previously served as deputy head of civil justice and lead judge for artificial intelligence.