The Dean of Arches is the judge who sits at the ecclesiastical court

Ecclesiastical court

An ecclesiastical court is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters. In the Middle Ages in many areas of Europe these courts had much wider powers than before the development of nation states...

 of the Archbishop of Canterbury

Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...

 in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. This appeal court is commonly called the Arches Court

Arches Court

The Arches Court, presided over by the Dean of Arches, is an ecclesiastical court of the Church of England covering the Province of Canterbury. Its equivalent in the Province of York is the Chancery Court.-Provincial Court:...

.

The Dean of Arches is a joint appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York

Archbishop of York

The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...

; he serves the same role in the latter's 'Chancery Court' where he or she has the title of 'Auditor'. The Dean of Arches also acts as Master of the Faculties

Master of the Faculties

The Master of the Faculties is a functionary in the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury and has some important powers in English law, in particular the appointment and regulation of public notaries. The position is always held by the Dean of Arches....

.

The current Dean of the Arches is Charles George, QC

Queen's Counsel

Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...

, who succeeded the Right Worshipful Dr Sheila Cameron

Sheila Cameron

Sheila Morag Clark Cameron, CBE, QC, DCL , is a British lawyer. She was Dean of the Arches and Official Principal of the Arches Court of Canterbury from 2000 to 2009, and was therefore the senior ecclesiastical judge of the Church of England in that period. Since 1983 she has been Vicar-General of...

 on 1st May 2009.

List of Deans of the Arches

Years	Dean
2009–	Charles George, QC
2001–2009	Sheila Cameron Sheila Cameron Sheila Morag Clark Cameron, CBE, QC, DCL , is a British lawyer. She was Dean of the Arches and Official Principal of the Arches Court of Canterbury from 2000 to 2009, and was therefore the senior ecclesiastical judge of the Church of England in that period. Since 1983 she has been Vicar-General of... , QC
1980–2000	Sir Sir Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...  John Owen, QC
1977–1980	Rev'd Kenneth Elphinstone, QC
1972–1976	Sir Harold Kent, GCB Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...  QC
1971–1972	Walter Wigglesworth, QC
1955–1971	Rt Hon Sir Henry Willink, Bt Baronet A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...  MC Military Cross The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....  QC
1934–1955	Sir Philip Wilbraham-Baker, KBE Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
1903–1934	Sir Lewis Dibdin, KC
1898–1903	Sir Arthur Charles
1875–1898	Lord Penzance James Plaisted Wilde, Baron Penzance James Plaisted Wilde, 1st Baron Penzance was a noted British judge and rose breeder who was also a proponent of the Baconian theory that the works usually attributed to William Shakespeare were in fact authored by Francis Bacon....
1867–1875	Sir Robert Phillimore
1858–1867	Stephen Lushington Stephen Lushington (judge) Stephen Lushington was a Doctor of Civil Law, a judge, a Member of Parliament and a radical for the abolition of slavery and capital punishment.-Early life and education:...
1852–1858	Sir John Dodson Sir John Dodson Sir John Dodson was an English judge and member of parliament.-Life:Dodson was born at Hurstpierpoint 19 January 1780. He was the eldest son of the Rev. Dr. John Dodson, rector of Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, who died in July 1807, and Frances, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Dawson...
1834–1852	Herbert Jenner-Fust Herbert Jenner-Fust Sir Herbert Jenner-Fust, born Herbert Jenner was an English judge, dean of the arches.-Early life:Jenner-Fust, surname initially Jenner, was second son of Robert Jenner of Doctors' Commons, proctor, and of Chislehurst, Kent, by his second wife, Ann, eldest daughter of Peter Birt of Wenvoe Castle,...
1809–1834	Rt Hon Sir John Nicholl John Nicholl Sir John Nicholl was a Welsh Member of Parliament and judge. As a judge he was noted 'for inflexible impartiality and great strength and soundness of judgement'.-Early history:...
1788–1809	Sir William Wynne William Wynne William Wynn or William Wynne may refer to:*Will Wynn , Mayor of Austin, Texas*Will Wynn , Defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins...
1778–1788	Peter Calvert
1764–1778	Sir George Hay George Hay (politician) Sir George Hay was a British judge and Member of Parliament . He was Dean of Arches 1764–1778.In 1754, he was returned as one of the two MPs for Stockbridge, but left the House of Commons in 1756 to take up the post of Commissioner of the Admiralty...
1758–1764	Sir Edward Simpson
1751–1758	Sir George Lee George Lee (English politician) Sir George Lee, PC was a politician in the Parliament of Great Britain.He was Member of Parliament for Brackley 1733–1742, for Devizes 1742–1747, for Liskeard 1747–1754, and for Launceston 1754–1758.From 1742 to 1744, Lee was a Lord of the Admiralty, and he was knighted...
1710–1751	John Bettesworth
1703–1710	Sir John Cooke
1689–1703	George Oxendon
1686–1688	Sir Thomas Exton Thomas Exton Sir Thomas Exton was an English admiralty lawyer, Member of Parliament, and Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge.-Life:His father was the admiralty lawyer John Exton. He entered Merchant Taylors' School in 1641, was admitted a member of Gray's Inn in 1648, and went to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where...
1684–1686	Sir Richard Lloyd Richard Lloyd (Durham) -Life:He was the second son of Andrew Lloyd of Aston, Shropshire. A fellow of All Souls' College, Oxford, he proceeded B.C.L. in 1659 and D.C.L. in 1662. He was admitted to Gray's Inn at 1655, and an advocate at Doctors' Commons in 1664....
1672–1684	Sir Robert Wiseman
1660–1672	Sir Giles Sweit
c.1660	Richard Zouch Richard Zouch Richard Zouch also Richard Zouche was an English jurist.-Life:He was born at Ansty, Wiltshire, son of Francis Zouche. His mother is said to have been Philippa, sixth daughter of George Ludlow of Hill Deverel, Wiltshire. He was educated at Winchester and afterwards at New College, Oxford, where he...
c.1660	Walter Walker
c.1658-	John Godolpin
c.1647–1655	William Clerke
c.1646	William Sammes
1633–1643	Sir John Lambe John Lambe (Dean of the Arches) Sir John Lambe was an English jurist, closely associated with the ecclesiastical policy of William Laud.-Life:He was probably born about 1566, graduated B.A. at St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1587, and M.A. in 1590. In the interval he made a pilgrimage to Rome. On his return to England he was...
1624–1633	Sir Henry Marten Henry Marten (politician) Sir Henry Marten was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1625 and 1640.-Life:...
1618–1624	Sir William Bird William Bird (lawyer) Sir William Bird was a lawyer, Member of Parliament for Oxford University and Dean of the Court of Arches but who was accused in Parliament of taking improper fees.-Life:...
1598–1617	Daniel Donne Daniel Donne -Life:He was descended from John Dwnn of Radnorshire, was educated at Oxford, where he was a member of All Souls College, and was admitted to the degree of B.C.L. 14 July 1572. Eight years later the higher degree was conferred on him, when he became Principal of New Inn Hall.He entered the College...
1597–1598	Thomas Byng Thomas Byng Thomas Byng was an English academic and lawyer, Master of Clare Hall, Cambridge from 1571.-Life:He matriculated as a sizar at Peterhouse in May 1552, and proceeded B.A. in 1556. He was admitted fellow of his college 7 February 1558, and commenced M.A. 1559, and LL.D. 1570...
1590–1597	Richard Cosin Richard Cosin Richard Cosin was an English jurist. He became prominent as an ecclesiastical lawyer in the service of Archbishop John Whitgift, active against the Puritans in the Church of England.-Life:...
1573-1589/90	Bartholomew Clerke Bartholomew Clerke -Background:He was grandson of Richard Clerke, gentleman, of Livermere in Suffolk, and son of John Clerke of Wells, Somerset, by Anne, daughter and heiress of Henry Grantoft of Huntingdonshire. He was born about 1537 in Surrey. He received his education at Eton College, and was elected to King's...
1572-	John Cooke John Cooke John Cooke may refer to:*John Cooke , Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University*John Cooke *John Cooke , English cricketer...
1567–1573	Thomas Yale Thomas Yale -Early life:Thomas Yale was born in 1525 or 1526, graduated B.A. at Cambridge University in 1542–3, and was elected a fellow of Queens' College, Cambridge about 1544. He commenced M.A. in 1546, and filled the office of bursar to his college from 1549 to 1551...
1560-	Robert Weston Robert Weston Robert Weston , was Dean of the Arches and Lord Chancellor of Ireland in the time of Queen Elizabeth.Weston was the third son of John Weston of Lichfield and his wife Cicely Neville, sister of Ralph Neville, 4th Earl of Westmorland. He entered All Souls, Oxford and was elected Fellow in 1536...
1559–1560	William Mowse William Mowse William Mowse was an English lawyer and Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge.-Life:He graduated LL.B. at Cambridge in 1538, took holy orders, and in 1552 proceeded LL.D. In the latter year, through the interest of Thomas Cranmer and William Cecil, he obtained the mastership of Trinity Hall on the...
1558–1559	Nicholas Harpisfield
1557–1558	Henry Cole Henry Cole (priest) Henry Cole was an English Roman Catholic churchman and academic.-Life:...
1556–1557	David Pole David Pole (bishop) David Pole was an English Roman Catholic churchman and jurist, bishop of Peterborough from 1557 and deprived by Elizabeth I of England.-Life:...
1553-	John Story John Story Blessed John Story , English Roman Catholic martyr, was born the son of Nicholas Story of Salisbury and educated at Hinxsey Hall, University of Oxford, where he became lecturer on civil law in 1535, being made later principal of Broadgates Hall, afterwards Pembroke College.He appears to have...
1543–1545	John Cock (or Cockys)
1520–1522	Thomas Wodynton
c.1511	[?]Richard Bodewell or Blodwell
1504–1515	Humphrey Hawardyn
...	Thomas Beckington Thomas Beckington Thomas Beckington was the Bishop of Bath and Wells and King's Secretary in medieval England.-Life:...
1426-	William Lyndwood William Lyndwood William Lyndwood was an English bishop of St. David's, diplomat and canonist, most notable for the publication of the Provinciale.-Early life:...
...	John de Ufford John de Ufford John de Ufford, sometimes John de Offord or John Offord was chancellor and head of the royal administration to Edward III as well as being appointed to the Archbishopric of Canterbury.-Early life:...
...	Simon Islip Simon Islip Simon Islip was an English prelate. He served as Archbishop of Canterbury between 1349 and 1366.-Lord Privy Seal:In 1347, possibly in September, Simon was appointed keeper of the Privy Seal. Previously he had held the seal of Lionel, who was the regent in England...