Senior judicial appointments
Appointment of The Rt Hon Lord Justice Toulson, The Rt Hon Lord Justice Hughes and Lord Hodge as Justices of the Supreme Court of the UK.
The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of The Right Honourable Lord Justice Toulson, The Right Honourable Lord Justice Hughes and Lord Hodge as Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. This fills the 3 vacancies arising from Lord Dyson’s appointment as Master of the Rolls and the retirements of Lord Walker and Lord Hope.
Biographical Notes
Lord Justice Toulson was called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1969 and a bencher in 1995. He became a Queen’s Counsel in 1986 and a Recorder of the Crown Court from 1987 to 1996. He was appointed to the High Court (QBD) in 1996. He sat in the Commercial Court and in the Administrative Court, and he was Presiding Judge on the Western Circuit from 1997 to 2002. From 2002 to 2006 he was Chairman of the Law Commission of England and Wales, and he was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2007. He has also served on the Judicial Appointments Commission for
England and Wales.
Lord Justice Hughes was called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1970 and appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court from 1985 to 1997. He became Queen’s Counsel in 1990 and was a judge of the High court (Family Division) from 1997 to 2003 and (QBD) from 2004 to 2006. He was Presiding Judge on the Midland Circuit between 2000 and 2004. Lord Justice Hughes was appointed a High Court judge in 1997 and initially assigned to the Family Division. He subsequently spent three years in the Queen’s Bench Division, before being appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2006. He has been Vice President of the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal since 2009.
Lord Hodge is the Scottish Judge in Exchequer Causes and one of the Scottish Intellectual Property Judges. He is also a Judge in the Lands Valuation Appeal Court and a Commercial Judge. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1983 and appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1996. He was a part time Law Commissioner at the Scottish Law Commission from 1997 to 2003.