Kate Cornell appointed as a Circuit Judge

We are delighted to announce that Kate Cornell has been appointed as a Circuit Judge, with effect from 2 October 2023. The appointment was made by The King on the advice of the Lord Chancellor, the Right Honourable Alex Chalk KC MP and the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, the Right Honourable The Lord Burnett of Maldon, following a competition run by the Judicial Appointments Commission. The Lord Chief Justice has assigned her to the Northern Circuit. She will be sitting at Manchester Crown Square which is the largest court in Manchester dealing with many serious and high profile cases.

Head of Chambers, Jason Beer KC commented, “Kate’s appointment is richly deserved and a reflection of her talent, wisdom and skill. It follows a hugely successful career at the bar, and before that working for a City law firm. I am delighted to offer her the warmest of congratulations on behalf of all Members of Chambers.”

Kate said, “I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed as a Circuit Judge and am very much looking forward to joining the team at Manchester Crown Square in October. I will be very sad to leave 5 Essex Chambers where I have spent a wonderful 13 years with incredibly talented and supportive colleagues. It has been a fabulous place to work and has given me great confidence and experience to bring to this exciting new judicial chapter in my career.”

Kate was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 2003. She joined Chambers in 2010 and was appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court in 2018.

Further details of the appointment can be found here.