In the announcement the Lady Chief Justice thanked him for his “distinguished service both in his capacity as a judge in court and in supporting the fair and efficient administration of justice more widely”, singling out his time as Judge in Charge of the Technology and Construction Court and as Deputy Head of Civil Justice.
Career on the bench
Sir Peter was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn in 1982, took silk in 2001 and was elected a Bencher in 2006. The judiciary set out his judicial career as follows:
| Year | Appointment |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Recorder |
| 2004 | Senior Circuit Judge (Technology and Construction Court) |
| 2008 | High Court Judge, Queen’s Bench Division (now King’s Bench Division) |
| 2011 to 2014 | Presiding Judge, North Eastern Circuit |
| September 2016 to February 2018 | Judge in Charge, Technology and Construction Court |
| March 2018 | Lord Justice of Appeal; Privy Counsellor the same year |
| March 2018 to January 2021 | Deputy Head of Civil Justice |
How the court is staffed
Under section 2(1) of the Senior Courts Act 1981, the Court of Appeal consists of ex officio judges and ordinary judges, “of whom the maximum full-time equivalent number is 39”. Ordinary judges are styled Lord or Lady Justice of Appeal under section 2(3).
Court of Appeal vacancies are filled through selection exercises in which the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), at the request of the Lord Chancellor, convenes a selection panel. On 12 June 2026 the JAC announced that the King had approved seven new Court of Appeal judges to fill vacancies: Mr Justice Butcher, Mr Justice Chamberlain, Mr Justice Fancourt, Mrs Justice Farbey, Mrs Justice Lieven, Mr Justice Meade and Mr Justice Saini. The JAC said that selection exercise was open to applicants who satisfied the judicial eligibility condition on a seven-year basis or were High Court judges, in accordance with section 10(3) of the 1981 Act. It had launched an exercise on 1 December 2025 to fill up to seven Court of Appeal vacancies. The judiciary’s announcement of Sir Peter’s retirement does not say when his place will be filled.