Sir Anthony May

Sir Anthony May joined Chambers in 1968 after an initial career teaching classics. He rapidly developed a wide-ranging practice including heavy construction disputes, and also planning, in which context he appeared in the House of Lords in AG ex rel Bedfordshire CC v Howard URC [1976] AC 363. He also appeared with Donald Keating in the House of Lords in Trollope & Colls v NWM Hospital Board [1973] 1 WLR 601 and with Patrick Garland in Modern Engineering v Gilbert-Ash [1974] AC 689. He took Silk in 1979 and in 1990 was appointed Chairman of the Commission of Enquiry into the Savings and Investment Bank, Isle of Mann. He was appointed to the High Court Bench in 1991 and to the Court of Appeal in 1997 becoming Deputy Head of Civil Justice and responsible for the Civil Procedure Rules. In October 2008, he was appointed President of the Queen’s Bench Division, and retired from the bench in July 2011. He succeeded Patrick Garland as the second President of ORBA (now TecBAR). He was Treasurer of Inner Temple in 2008 when he hosted the visit by HM The Queen to the Inn. In January 2013 Sir Anthony was appointed the Interception of Communications Commissioner.

In 1990, whilst still a member of Chambers, Anthony May took over editorship of Keating on Building Contracts and was responsible for the 5th Edition published in 1991 and the 6th Edition published in 1995.