Teresa Hay is appointed as a District Judge and assigned to Brighton County Court
Teresa Hay has been appointed as a District Judge following approval by The King, acting on the advice of the Lord Chancellor, David Lammy MP, and the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill.
The appointment places her on the South Eastern Circuit, where she will be based at Brighton County Court. Her appointment will take effect from 7 April 2026.
District Judges play a central role within the court system, dealing with a wide range of civil and family matters. Their responsibilities include case management, conducting hearings, and delivering judgments at the first instance level.
Judge Hay, who will be known as District Judge Teresa Hay, was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in 2001. She has since developed a career combining legal practice with a range of judicial roles across different tribunals and courts.
In 2019, she was appointed as a fee-paid adjudicator of the Road User Charging Tribunal, where she handled appeals relating to road charging schemes.
Her judicial experience expanded in 2021 when she was appointed as an Employment Judge. In the same year, she also took on a role as a fee-paid judge of the First-tier Tribunal, assigned to the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber. In addition, she was appointed as a Deputy District Judge, gaining experience within the civil court system.
The appointment follows the established judicial selection process, which involves recommendations to the Lord Chancellor and formal approval by the monarch. The Lady Chief Justice is responsible for determining deployment to specific circuits based on operational needs.
Brighton County Court, where District Judge Hay will sit, forms part of the South Eastern Circuit, which handles a significant volume of civil and family cases. The court plays an important role in delivering local access to justice.
The appointment reflects ongoing efforts to maintain judicial capacity and ensure the effective operation of courts across England and Wales.