Sir Anthony Tristram Kenneth May PC (born 9 September 1940) is a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

judge. He was educated at

Bradfield College Bradfield College, formally St Andrew's College, Bradfield, is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for pupils aged 11–18, located in the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire. It is note ...

and

Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...

. On 1 October 2008, he succeeded Sir

Igor Judge Igor Judge, Baron Judge, (born 19 May 1941) is an English former judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, the head of the judiciary, from 2008 to 2013. He was previously President of the Queen's Bench Division, at the ...

President of the Queen's Bench Division The King's Bench Division (or Queen's Bench Division when the monarch is female) of the High Court of Justice deals with a wide range of common law cases and has supervisory responsibility over certain lower courts. It hears appeals on point ...

. He was called to the Bar (

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...

) in 1967, became a

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of ...

in 1979, and a Recorder in 1985. He was appointed to the

Queen's Bench Division The King's Bench Division (or Queen's Bench Division when the monarch is female) of the High Court of Justice deals with a wide range of common law cases and has supervisory responsibility over certain lower courts. It hears appeals on point ...

in 1991, receiving the customary

knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

. In 1997, May was appointed to the

Court of Appeal A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...

. May was Vice-President of the Queen's Bench Division from 2002 to 2008, when he was appointed President of the Queen's Bench Division, when the previous president,

Sir Igor Judge Igor Judge, Baron Judge, (born 19 May 1941) is an English former judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, the head of the judiciary, from 2008 to 2013. He was previously President of the Queen's Bench Division, at the ...

, became

Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

. He was named to the

Privy Council of the United Kingdom The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians who are current or former members of e ...

in 1998. May retired from the Queen's Bench Division in July 2011, and was succeeded as its president by Sir Roger John Laugharne Thomas. In October 2012 Downing Street announced Sir Anthony May would become the

Interception of Communications Commissioner The Interception of Communications Commissioner was a regulatory official in the United Kingdom, appointed under section 57 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, and previously under section 8 of the Interception of Communications A ...

beginning on 1 January 2013. Unfortunately in July 2014 Sir Anthony was involved in a serious accident. As a consequence, the former Interception of Communications Commissioner, Sir Paul Kennedy, was re-instated as Interim Commissioner by the Prime Minister. May resumed the commissioner duties on 1 January 2015, and resigned effective 31 July 2015, six months prior to the end of his three-year term. He was succeeded as commissioner by Sir

Stanley Burnton Sir Stanley Jeffrey Burnton (born 25 October 1942) is a British lawyer and former Lord Justice of Appeal. Early life Burnton was educated at Hackney Downs Grammar School. He studied jurisprudence at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, and graduated from th ...

References

1940 births Living people People educated at Bradfield College Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford 20th-century English judges Lords Justices of Appeal Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Members of the Inner Temple 20th-century King's Counsel British King's Counsel Presidents of the Queen's Bench Division Knights Bachelor 21st-century English judges {{UK-law-bio-stub