Sir Bernard Rix went to school at St Paul's and to university at New College, Oxford, where he studied classics and then law. He was also a law student in the United States. Called to the Bar by Inner Temple in 1970, he became a member of chambers at 3 Essex Court (now 20 Essex Street), and practised in commercial litigation. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1981, and was Chair of the Commercial Bar Association from 1992 to 1993. He became a Recorder in 1990, and also sat as a commercial arbitrator before his appointment as a Judge of the Queen's Bench Division in 1993. He was nominated to sit in the Commercial Court, and was Judge In Charge in 1998 and 1999. He was a Lord Justice of Appeal from 2000 to 2013. After retiring from the English Bench, he became a Judge of the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal and of the Singapore International Commercial Court. He also returned to practice as an arbitrator.

A former fencer, Sir Bernard enjoys music, particularly opera.