Masters of the Bench

Sir Gerald Barling is a Justice of the Chancery Division of the High Court of England and Wales and was President of the Competition Appeal Tribunal from 2007-2013.  He has been an Acting Deemster in the Isle of Man Court of Appeal.  Educated at St Mary’s College, Blackburn and New College, Oxford (where he was later a lecturer in law for several years). He was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple in 1972 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1991. Before his appointment to the High Court in 2007 he was a Deputy High Court Judge and also sat as a Recorder on the Midland Circuit. 

After pupillage in commercial chambers in London he initially practised in Manchester. From 1981 onwards his practice was based at Brick Court Chambers in London, where he specialised in public law and European Union law until appointed to the High Court bench.

Whilst at Brick Court Chambers he was frequently instructed by both government and private clients, and appeared not only in the courts in this country but also regularly in the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. 

His work encompassed virtually every field of European law, including competition law, free movement, sectoral regulation (particularly telecommunications), pharmaceutical licensing, state aids, VAT, and public procurement. He was instructed over several years in the well-known Factortame litigation, and appeared in many cases involving the impact of EU law on tax measures.

He was elected a Bencher of the Middle Temple in 2001, and is currently President  of the Thomas More Society.

He is married to Myriam. They have three daughters and live in Shropshire.