Press release: Appointment of Justices of the Supreme Court: 21 July 2017

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.’