Supreme Court annual report and accounts: 2021 to 2022
The UK Supreme Court’s annual report and accounts covering the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
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The report covers the Supreme Court’s eleventh full financial year and sets out its key achievements and progress towards its strategic objectives.
The Right Hon The Lord Reed of Allermuir, President of the Supreme Court, begins his foreword noting that the court has focused on resilience during the pandemic and recovery after it. He acknowledges that it has been another challenging year, but notes that the court has thrived despite the ongoing uncertainties resulting from Covid-19. This year has seen a return to in-person hearings for most cases (since July 2021), and we have been able to offer virtual or hybrid hearings where parties have been unable to attend in person.
Lord Reed pays tribute to the hard work of his fellow justices and the staff of the court, which allowed the court to continue to deliver a high level of service, including 56 UKSC judgments and 34 JCPC judgments during the reporting year.
Lord Reed also observes that despite not always being able to meet in person, the court has remained outward-looking throughout the year, building new connections, and strengthening longstanding ones. In-person international work has resumed, strengthening the UK’s role in the international community. He explains that the UKSC welcomed counterparts from the French Conseil d’Etat and the US Marshall Forum, amongst others, to exchange differing perspectives on the law and help strengthen the UK’s role in the international community.
Lord Reed reflects on the launch of the judicial diversity and inclusion strategy, and charts changes to the bench within the reporting year, paying tribute to the two justices who retired – Lord Lloyd-Jones and The Right Hon Lady Arden of Heswall DBE – as well as welcoming The Right Hon Lady Rose of Colmworth.
The report spotlights some of the most important and interesting cases that the UKSC and JCPC have heard. The report sets out how the Supreme Court heard 60 appeals and delivered 56 judgments between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022. The justices also determined 200 permission to appeal applications.
The JCPC, which is co-located within the Supreme Court building and shares the court’s administration, heard 51 appeals, gave 34 judgments and determined 78 permission to appeal applications during 2021-2022.
The Report was presented to Parliament under Section 54(1) of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. The accounts were presented to the House of Commons under Section 6(4) of the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000.