New appointments to the UK Supreme Court and JCPC

The Queen has approved the re-appointment of Lord Lloyd-Jones and the appointment of Sir David Richards as Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

Sir David Richards is appointed as a Justice to fill the vacancy created by Lady Arden’s retirement.

Her Majesty The Queen made the appointments on the advice of the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor, following the recommendations of an independent selection commission.

Welcoming the appointments, President of the Supreme Court Lord Reed said:

It gives me great pleasure to welcome the announcement of these appointments to the Supreme Court.

We look forward to welcoming Lord Lloyd-Jones back to his position as a Justice. Following his retirement in January 2022, having reached the then mandatory retirement age of 70 shortly before it was increased by Parliament to 75, he has continued to hear cases as a member of the Court’s Supplementary Panel. He will continue to make an enormously valuable contribution to the Court on a wide range of cases, and especially in dealing with appeals in the field of international law and criminal law.

We are also delighted that Sir David Richards will be joining us as a Justice of the Court. His outstanding legal ability and breadth of experience, notably in company law and corporate insolvency, will maintain the Court’s expertise in these areas following Lady Arden’s retirement, and will be invaluable in maintaining the high quality of our judgments and our reputation as an international centre of legal excellence.

Both appointees will make a significant contribution to the work of the Court and the development of the law, drawing on their extensive experience gained throughout their distinguished judicial careers.

Notes to editors:

A detailed description of the appointments process for Justices is available on the Supreme Court website via the following link: