Anne Rafferty

Dame Anne Judith Rafferty FRS (born 26 July 1950) is an English jurist, who served as a Lady Justice of Appeal of England and Wales from 2011 to 2020. She was elected to an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Society in May 2026.

Career Educated at Wolverhampton Girls' High School before studying law at the University of Sheffield, Rafferty was the first woman to chair the Criminal Bar Association. She took silk (Queen's Counsel) in 1990 and was appointed a Recorder the following year. In 1999, she was promoted Deputy High Court Judge, before her appointment to the High Court of Justice in 2000, when she was assigned to the Queen's Bench Division, receiving the customary accolade of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).

In 2011, Rafferty was appointed to the Court of Appeal of England and Wales with effect from 5 July, and was sworn of the Privy Council.

In November 2014, her appointment as Chancellor of the University of Sheffield (her alma mater) was announced, to replace Sir Peter Middleton in Summer 2015.

In 2019, Lady Justice Rafferty became known for overturning a lower court decision that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had to face three allegations of misconduct in public office, including a disputed claim that the UK was sending £350m a week to Brussels.

On 10 September 2022, Rafferty attended the Accession Council as a Privy Counsellor and signed the Proclamation of Accession of King Charles III.

In May 2026, Rafferty was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society.