Masters of the Bench

Rt Hon Alex Chalk KC MP was appointed Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice on 21 April 2023. He was Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence from October 2022 to April 2023 and was formerly HM Solicitor General for England and Wales and the Prisons and Probation Minister.  

Prior to being elected in 2015 as MP for Cheltenham, Alex was a barrister and prosecuted and defended in cases concerning terrorism, international fraud, and homicide. 

As Justice Minister, Alex led the Domestic Abuse Bill through the Commons. For the first time in history, the Bill includes a wide-ranging legal definition of domestic abuse which incorporates a range of behaviour beyond physical violence. 

During his time as Prisons Minister, Alex announced a new scheme to provide temporary, basic accommodation to prison leavers for twelve weeks, as well as overhauling the unpaid work that offenders are ordered to do as part of community service. 

As HM Solicitor General, Alex oversaw the work of the Law Officers’ Departments and took a particular interest in the issue of disclosure.  

As Minister for Defence Procurement, Alex authorised the transfer of Challenger II tanks to Ukraine. 

He lives in Cheltenham with his wife and three young children.