Author Archives: HM Government

The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of The Rt Hon Lady Justice Black DBE as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom upon the retirement of The Rt Hon Lord Toulson in July 2016 with effect from a date to be agreed with the President of the Court.

The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of The Rt Hon Lord Justice Lloyd Jones as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom upon the retirement of The Rt Hon the Lord Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony in September 2017 with effect from a date to be agreed with the President of the Court.

The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of The Rt Hon Lord Justice Briggs as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom upon the retirement of The Rt Hon the Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury in September 2017 with effect from a date to be agreed with the President of the Court.

Background information

The Rt Hon Lord Justice Lloyd Jones

Lord Justice Lloyd Jones was called to the Bar in 1975 (Middle Temple). From 1975 to 1991 he was a Fellow of Downing College, Cambridge. He was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 1999. Lord Justice Lloyd Jones was appointed to the High Court in 2005, and was assigned to the Queen’s Bench Division. He served as a Presiding Judge on the Wales Circuit and Chair of the Lord Chancellor’s Standing Committee on the Welsh Language from 2008 to 2011. From August 2012 to August 2015 he was Chair of the Law Commission. He was appointed as a Lord Justice of Appeal in 2012.

The Rt Hon Lady Justice Black DBE

Lady Justice Black was called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1976. In 1994 she was appointed as Queen’s Counsel and became a Deputy High Court Judge in 1996. She was appointed to the High Court in 1999, assigned to the Family Division; she also sat in the Administrative Court. Lady Justice Black served as Family Division Liaison Judge on the Northern Circuit from 2000-2004. In 2004 she became the Chairman of the Judicial Studies Board’s Family Committee, until her appointment to the Judicial Appointments Commission in 2008. She was appointed a Lady Justice of Appeal in 2010. In 2013, she was appointed as Head of International Family Justice.

The Rt Hon Lord Justice Briggs

Lord Justice Briggs was called to the Bar (Lincoln’s Inn) in 1978. He was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 1994. In 2001 he was appointed as the Attorney General to the Duchy of Lancaster, a position he held until 2006. He was appointed to the High Court in 2006, assigned to the Chancery Division. Lord Justice Briggs was the Judge in charge of the Chancery Modernisation Review in 2013, and has been the Personal Support Unit liaison judge since 2013. He was appointed as a Lord Justice of Appeal in 2013. On 1 January 2016 he was appointed Deputy Head of Civil Justice.’

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The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of The Rt Hon the Baroness Hale of Richmond as President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom upon the retirement of The Rt Hon Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury in September 2017. Background Info… read more

The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Mrs Justice Asplin as Lady Justice of Appeal and the following as Lord Justices of Appeal: Mr Justice Coulson, Mr Justice Holroyde, Mr Justice Peter Jackson, Mr Justice Leggatt, Mr Justice Newey and Mr Justice Singh.

These appointments will fill forthcoming vacancies in the Court of Appeal arising from autumn 2017.

These appointments are to be made in light of forthcoming retirements in the Court of Appeal and vacancies that arise as a consequence of a number of changes including the appointment of Sir Ian Burnett as Lord Chief Justice and Sir Adrian Fulford as Investigatory Powers Commissioner.

The appointment of Lord and Lady Justices of the Court of Appeal are made by Her Majesty The Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor following the recommendation of an independent selection panel.

Selection panel

The selection panel was chaired by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd. The other panel members were Sir Terence Etherton, the Master of the Rolls; Lord Kakkar, the Chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission; and two lay Commissioners of the Judicial Appointments Commission: Professor Noel Lloyd and Professor Emily Jackson.

In accordance with section 79 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 as amended by the Crime and Courts Act 2013, the panel determined the selection process to be followed. In accordance with s10(3) of the Senior Courts Act 1981, the selection exercise was open to applicants that satisfied the judicial eligibility condition on a 7-year basis or were Judges of the High Court.

Appointments

Mrs Justice Asplin

Called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1984. She was appointed both a Master of the Bench and Queen’s Counsel in 2002. She was made a Deputy High Court Judge in 2007 and a Justice of the High Court (Chancery Division) in October 2012. She is responsible for issues and co-ordination in relation to litigants in person on behalf of the Judiciary and has written a Guide to the Chancery Applications Court for Litigants in Person.

Mr Justice Coulson

Called to the bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1982 after graduating from the University of Keele. He became a well-respected junior at the Technology and Construction Bar from 1983 onwards. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2001 and he became a Recorder the same year. In 2004, he was appointed a Senior Circuit Judge in the Technology and Construction Court. In 2008 he was appointed as a High Court Judge in the Queen’s Bench Division. He was a presiding Judge of the North Eastern Circuit between 2011 and 2014. He was appointed as the Judge in Charge of the Technology and Construction Court in 2016.

Mr Justice Holroyde

Called to the bar (Middle Temple) in 1977 and took silk in 1996. He was appointed as a Recorder in 1997 and as a High Court Judge in the Queen’s Bench Division in January 2009. He was a Presiding Judge on the Northern Circuit from 2012 until 2015.

Mr Justice Peter Jackson

Called to the bar (Inner Temple) in 1978 and took silk in 2000. He was appointed as a Recorder in 1998, a Deputy High Court Judge in 2003 and a High Court Judge in the Family Division in October 2010.

Mr Justice Leggatt

Called to the Bar (Middle Temple) in 1982. He practised as a barrister specialising in commercial law. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1997. He became a Recorder of the Crown Court in 2002 and a Deputy High Court Judge in 2008. He was made a Justice of the High Court (Queen’s Bench Division) in October 2012.

Mr Justice Newey

Called to the Bar (Middle Temple) in 1982. He practised at the Chancery Bar between 1983 and his appointment as a High Court Judge at the beginning of 2010. Before taking silk in 2001, he was one of the Junior Counsel to the Crown (Chancery/A Panel) (from 1990) and Junior Counsel to the Charity Commissioners (from 1991). In 2003 he became an (Acting) Deemster of the Isle of Man, and in 2006 he was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge. He also served as a DTI inspector, inquiring into the affairs of MG Rover and associated companies. He has been the Chancery Supervising Judge for the Midland, Wales and Western Circuits since 2014.

Mr Justice Singh

Called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn) in 1989 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2002. His practice was mainly in the areas of public law, human rights and employment law. He was one of the Junior Counsel to the Crown, serving on the A Panel from 2000 to 2002. He was also the Additional Junior Counsel to the Inland Revenue from 1997 to 2002 and Chair of the Administrative Law Bar Association from 2006 to 2008. He was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2003 and a Recorder of the Crown Court from 2004. He was appointed as a High Court Judge in 2011. He was a Presiding Judge on the South Eastern Circuit from January 2013 until December 2016.

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Innovate UK has joined up with Getty images and UK photographer, Amelia Troubridge, to host a new photography exhibition.

The infocus women in innovation exhibition challenges the perception of what it looks like to be a female innovator in 2017. The exhibition is part of Innovate UK’s infocus campaign aimed at increasing the low number of women entrepreneurs applying for funding.

Research shows that:

• gender diverse companies are 15% more likely to deliver better financial returns
• Getty Images online searches for ‘female business executive’ have increased 350% and ‘female entrepreneur’ by 66% over the past 2 years
• the proportion of UK women in entrepreneurial activity is around half the level of men
• only 14% of all people working in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) are women

Entrepreneur Jenna Bowen, founder of Cotton Mouton Diagnostics, in front of her photograph.

The exhibition profiles 12 of the winners of the women in innovation awards, Innovate UK’s funding competition open only to women. Their innovations range from the optimisation of cancer treatment and the creation of sustainable alternatives to animal products to air-pollution and waste solutions.

The exhibition also celebrates the differences and diversity among this group of female innovators – such as background, age, education, location and approach.

Dr Ruth McKernan, Innovate UK Chief Executive, commented:

Research shows that harnessing the skills of female entrepreneurs would significantly enhance UK economic growth and improve the breadth of management teams.

One barrier identified from our own analysis is the relative lack of female role models. What better way to address this than to partner with Getty Images, the world’s leading image database and Amelia Troubridge, the world-renowned photographer, to showcase some amazing women?

Dr Ruth McKernan, Innovate UK chief executive, at the launch of the Amelia Troubridge exhibition.

Innovate UK launched the infocus programme in 2016. Its aims are to:

• get more women innovating in business
• give female entrepreneurs the support they need to grow their businesses
• create new role models for the next generation

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2014 – present FCO, Head, Arms Export Policy 2013 FCO Various assignments working on crisis management, high profile visits and the Arms Trade Treaty 2008 – 2012 Istanbul, Her Majesty’s Consul General and Director of UK Trade and Investment for Turkey 2004 – 2008 Moscow, Her Majesty’s Consul General and Director of Operations 2002 – 2004 Seconded as UK Political Adviser, NATO JFC Brunssum 1999 – 2001 FCO, Deputy Head, Non-Proliferation Department 1996 – 1999 Minsk, Her Majesty’s Ambassador 1994 – 1996 Language training (Russian) 1992 – 1994 FCO, Head of South Africa Section, Africa Department 1990 – 1992 FCO, Head of Economic & Sanctions Department, UN Department 1987 – 1990 Dakar, Second Secretary 1986 – 1987 FCO, Desk Officer for Hungary and Czechoslovakia 1985 – 1986 FCO, Desk Officer for India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives 1985 Joined FCO   read more