He was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1985. In 1997, he was appointed First Junior Treasury Counsel ("Treasury Devil"), a private practitioner barrister who represents the UK government in the civil courts.[2] This caused "consternation" among senior lawyers, according to The Times, due to his young age.[3]
Sales was a practising barrister at 11 King's Bench Walk. At the time of the appointment, there was debate over Sales' appointment. According to The Guardian, an anonymous source referred to 11KBW as a "network of old boys and cronies", and that there was "no coincidence that the appointment came from Lord Irvine's and Tony Blair's old chambers".[4] Acting as a barrister Sales defended the New Labour government's decision against holding a public inquiry into the Iraq War in the High Court in 2005.[5]
Lord Justice Sales was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom on 11 January 2019,[9] taking the judicial courtesy title of Lord Sales.
Personal life
Sales married Miranda Wolpert in 1988; they have a son and a daughter.[1]
Arms
Coat of arms of Philip Sales, Lord Sales
Crest
Statant upon a balance Sable the pans Or an owl guardant also Or beaked and legged Gules holding in the dexter foot a sprig of oak Vert fructed Or.
Escutcheon
Per chevron Or and Azure in chief two stacks of three closed books Argent bound Azure garnished and in base three bees one and two volant Or.