El o la lord canciller (en inglés: "Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain", o "Lord Chancellor") es un funcionario importante del Gobierno del Reino Unido. Ocupa el segundo puesto entre los ministros de la Corona y es designado por el soberano siguiendo el consejo del primer ministro. Antes de la Unión había un canciller de Inglaterra y otro distinto para Escocia. Entre las responsabilidades del lord canciller se encuentra custodiar el Gran Sello Real. El lord canciller es miembro del Gabinete y por ley es responsable de asegurar el funcionamiento eficiente y la independencia de los tribunales. Antiguamente presidía la Cámara de los Lores y era la máxima autoridad del sistema jurídico de Inglaterra y Gales, pero el Acta de Reforma Constitucional de 2005 le transfirió dichos poderes al lord portavoz y al lord jefe de Justicia respectivamente. En reemplazo del lord canciller es posible designar un lord guardián del Gran Sello Real. Los dos cargos poseen exactamente las mismas obligaciones; la única diferencia es la forma en que son nombrados. No solo eso; el cargo de lord canciller puede ser ejercido por un comité de individuos llamados "lores comisionados del Gran Sello". Sin embargo, desde el siglo XIX solo se han designado lores cancilleres, y los otros cargos han caído en desuso. El cargo es desempeñado actualmente por Elizabeth Truss, a partir del 14 de julio de 2016. Nombrada por la primera ministra Theresa May, Truss es la primera mujer en desempeñar dicho cargo.

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The Lord Chancellor, formally the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. They are appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Lord Chancellor is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking after only the Lord High Steward. Prior to the Union there were separate Lord Chancellors for England and Wales and for Scotland. The Lord Chancellor is a member of the Cabinet and, by law, is responsible for the efficient functioning and independence of the courts. In 2007 there were a number of changes to the legal system and to the office of the Lord Chancellor. Formerly, the Lord Chancellor was also the presiding officer of the House of Lords, the head of the judiciary in England and Wales, and the presiding judge of the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice, but the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 transferred these roles to the Lord Speaker, the Lord Chief Justice, and the Chancellor of the High Court respectively. The current Lord Chancellor is Elizabeth Truss, who is also Secretary of State for Justice. One of the Lord Chancellor's responsibilities is to act as the custodian of the Great Seal of the Realm. A Lord Keeper of the Great Seal may be appointed instead of a Lord Chancellor. The two offices entail exactly the same duties; the only distinction is in the mode of appointment. Furthermore, the office of Lord Chancellor may be exercised by a committee of individuals known as Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal, usually when there is a delay between an outgoing Chancellor and their replacement. The seal is then said to be "in commission". Since the 19th century, however, only Lord Chancellors have been appointed, the other offices having fallen into disuse.

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