Retired senior judge joins chambers as associate member
Gatehouse Chambers has announced that Dr Victoria McCloud has been appointed as associate member following her retirement as a senior judge sitting in the High Court of England and Wales. Victoria served for 14 years as a High Court Master and is also the UK’s first transgender judge. This is the first time a judge has been appointed to Gatehouse as an associate member post-retirement.
As an associate member, Victoria will support Gatehouse as it grows its profile in internal investigations and whistleblowing cases. She brings expertise from her current role as an advisor to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Whistleblowing via its secretariat, Whistleblowers UK, as well as her career as a judge.
Victoria’s expertise and background will also supplement Gatehouse’s high-profile public inquiries and inquests work, which includes the Covid and Grenfell inquiries.
Victoria said of her appointment: ‘I am immensely proud to be joining Gatehouse Chambers as its first judge in retirement status. Gatehouse Chambers has a fantastic reputation as a progressive set, both in terms of its work and its culture.
‘There is increasing demand for expertise in internal investigations and whistleblowing, both due to a heightened regulatory environment and in response to many high-profile investigations that are making front-page news. As I initially re-enter the legal sector as a non-practising barrister, I look forward to helping Gatehouse Chambers grow its profile in these areas.’
Amanda Illing, chief executive of Gatehouse Chambers, said: ‘We are thrilled to have Victoria join us as an associate member following her highly successful career as a judge. Her experience and focus on quasi-judicial investigations will be an invaluable benefit as we continue to grow instructions in high-profile internal investigations and whistleblowing cases.’
