Lady Chief Justice Carr grew up in Surrey and went to school in Buckinghamshire, before studying law and modern languages at Trinity College, Cambridge. She was called to the Bar in 1987 and joined chambers at Four New Square, practising commercial law with a particular emphasis on professional liability and insurance. Baroness Carr was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2003, and became Chair of the Professional Negligence Bar Association and Head of Chambers at Four New Square. She was appointed as a Recorder in 2009, and as a High Court Judge in 2013. Baroness Carr was a nominated Judge of both the Commercial Court and the Technology & Construction Court, and also sat on the Investigatory Powers Tribunal. She became a Lady Justice of Appeal in 2020, and has been Chief Justice of England & Wales since October 2023. As the first female holder of the office, she adopts the title Lady Chief Justice.

Baroness Carr enjoys the theatre, sings with the Bar Choral Society, plays tennis, and is a keen skier.