Lady Hale appointed as President of Supreme Court

Commenting on the announcement that the Rt. Hon Lady Hale is to be appointed as president of the Supreme Court, Graham Matthews, President of the Law Society of Scotland, said:

“I’d like to offer my warm congratulations to Lady Hale on her appointment. As one of the country’s most senior and highly regarded judges who has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience during the course of her career, she has made a substantial contribution to the justice system in the UK as a whole.

“The appointment of the first female President of the Supreme Court is a significant step forward in having greater equality and diversity within the judiciary, something Lady Hale has actively campaigned for.

“We were delighted to welcome Lady Hale, with her fellow Supreme Court judges, Lord Neuberger, as the current president, Lord Reed and Lord Hodge to the Law Society of Scotland to have a discussion session with our members during their visit to Edinburgh in May. It was the first time the UK  Supreme Court sat outside London, and I hope this initiative can be repeated during Lady Hale’s time as President to allow both members of the public and lawyers to have an opportunity to see the workings of the court first-hand.

“I’d also like to congratulate Lady Justice Black, Lord Justice Lloyd Jones and Lord Justice Briggs on their appointments as new Supreme Court Judges.”

Commenting on the upcoming retirement of Lord Neuberger, he said: “Lord Neuberger has had a remarkable legal career since being called to the Bar in 1974, leading to his appointment as the Supreme Court’s second President in 2012. He has played an instrumental role in modernising the legal profession and judiciary to ensure it is fit for purpose in the 21st century and has been strongly committed to increasing diversity within the profession to better reflect the society it serves and improving the use of technology in the justice system.

“It was a real privilege to meet him at our recent event and we very much appreciated his, and indeed all of the Supreme Court judges’, willingness to meet with our members and answer a whole  range of queries during the course of the discussions. We wish him well in his retirement.”