Master of the Rolls

The Master of the Rolls is the third most senior judge of England, the Lord Chancellor being first and the Lord Chief Justice being second. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal.

The title of the office derives from the fact that originally, the office-holder was a clerk responsible for keeping the "Rolls," or records, of the Chancery court. The post eventually evolved into a judicial one, but the Master still retains his clerical functions by serving as the nominal head of the Public Record Office.

The present Master of the Rolls is the Lord Philips of Worth Maltravers.