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University of Liverpool Law School alumnus The Rt Hon Lord Justice Stephen Cobb has been appointed President of the Family Division, one of the most senior judicial roles in England and Wales.
His appointment was approved by His Majesty The King on 23 April 2026, on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor following the recommendation of an independent selection panel. It reflects a distinguished career spanning more than four decades in the legal profession.
Lord Justice Cobb graduated from the University of Liverpool with an LLB (Hons) in 1984 and was later awarded an honorary LLD by the University in 2019 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the law. He was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1985 and took Silk in 2003, before embarking on a senior judicial career. He was appointed as a High Court Judge in 2013 and assigned to the Family Division, while also sitting in the Administrative Court and serving as a nominated judge of the Court of Protection. His wider leadership experience includes his service as Family Presiding Judge for the North Eastern Circuit between 2015 and 2021, and he was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2024, taking up his role in 2025.
As President of the Family Division, Lord Justice Cobb will lead the work of the High Court’s Family Division and holds responsibilities including Head of Family Justice and President of the Court of Protection. His appointment represents an exceptional achievement and is a source of great pride for the University of Liverpool, highlighting the continued impact of its graduates at the highest levels of the legal profession.