Wednesday 21 November 2012 by Michael Cross

Lord Judge, lord chief justice, announced today that he will retire at the end of September 2013.

A Judicial Office statement said that the process to appoint his successor as senior judge of England and Wales will begin in early 2013.

Igor Judge (pictured), 71, was appointed lord chief justice of England and Wales in October 2008.

Giving evidence to the House of Lords Constitution Committee this morning the lord chancellor, Chris Grayling, said that in Judge's successor he would be looking for 'forward-looking vision, someone who can embrace change and lead change'.