David Bean

Sir David Michael Bean (born 25 March 1954) is a British judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales.

Early life and education David Bean was born on 25 March 1954, the son of High Court judge Sir George Bean. He was educated at St Paul's School, an all-boys independent school in Barnes, London. He studied law at Trinity Hall, Cambridge between 1972 and 1975, graduating from the University of Cambridge with a first-class honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. He was President of the Cambridge Union in Lent term 1975.

Legal career Barrister (1976–2004) On 29 July 1976, David Bean was called to the bar at Middle Temple. He was a founding member of Matrix Chambers, specialising in employment, discrimination, education and public law. Bean was Chair of the Fabian Society from 1989 to 1990.

In 1992, Bean was appointed an Assistant Recorder. In 1997, he was appointed a Queen's Counsel (QC). Bean was appointed a bencher by Middle Temple on 6 March 2001. Between 2001 and 2004 he was Chairman of the Immigration Services Tribunal.

Bean issued a scathing rebuttal in print to Sir John Stevens, then Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, following Stevens’s article titled "Justice is a Joke: Britain's Top Cop Savages Our Soft, Pathetic Courts."

Court of Queen's Bench (2004–2014) On 19 July 2004, Bean was appointed a judge of the High Court of Justice (Queen's Bench Division) and received the customary knighthood.

From 2007 to 2010, he served as the presiding judge of the South Eastern Circuit. He was appointed to the Privy Council in 2014.

In August 2015, he was appointed Chairman of the Law Commission, succeeding Lord Justice Lloyd Jones. On 4 November 2015, he was made an Honorary Fellow of The Academy of Experts in recognition of his contribution to The Academy's Judicial Committee and work for Expert Witnesses. He became Deputy Treasurer of the Middle Temple in 2018, and in January 2019 he became Treasurer.

In August 2025, Bean delivered the appellate court's ruling on the Epping migrant hotel case.

Honours On 8 April 1997, David Bean was appointed a Queen's Counsel. As a High Court judge, he received the customary knighthood as a Knight Bachelor and as a Lord Justice of Appeal he was appointed to the Privy Council.

Personal life His second wife was the civil servant Ruth Thompson. He is a member of the Athenaeum Club and the Reform Club.