The president of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the highest-ranking judge in the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. It is equivalent to the now-defunct position of senior lord of appeal in ordinary, also known as the senior law lord, who was the highest ranking among the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (the judges who exercised the judicial functions of the House of Lords). The current President is Robert Reed, since 13 January 2020.

History From 1900 to 1969, when the lord chancellor was not present, a former lord chancellor would preside at judicial sittings of the House of Lords. If no former lord chancellor was present, the most senior lord of appeal in ordinary present would preside, seniority being determined by rank in the peerage. In the years following World War II, it became less common for lord chancellors to have time to gain judicial experience in office, making it anomalous for former holders of the office to take precedence. As a result, on 22 May 1969, the rules were changed such that if the lord chancellor was not present (as was normally the case), the most senior law lord, by appointment as a lord of appeal in ordinary rather than peerage, would preside.House of Lords Debates 22 May 1969 c 468–71.

In 1984, the system was amended to provide that judges be appointed as senior and second senior lords of appeal in ordinary, rather than taking the roles by seniority. The purpose of the change was to allow an ailing Lord Diplock to step aside from presiding, yet remain a law lord.

On 1 October 2009, the judicial functions of the House of Lords were transferred to the new Supreme Court under the provisions of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. The Senior Law Lord, Nick Phillips, and the Second Senior Law Lord became, respectively, the President and the Deputy President of the new court. The same day, the Queen by warrant established a place for the President of the Supreme Court in the order of precedence, immediately after the Lord Speaker (the Speaker of the House of Lords).

List of Senior Lords of Appeal in Ordinary James Reid, Baron Reid (1969–1975) Richard Wilberforce, Baron Wilberforce (1975–1982) Kenneth Diplock, Baron Diplock (1982–1984)House of Lords Debates 27 June 1984 c 914–18 Ian Fraser, Baron Fraser of Tullybelton (1984–1985) Leslie Scarman, Baron Scarman (1985–1986) Henry Keith, Baron Keith of Kinkel (1986–1996) Robert Goff, Baron Goff of Chieveley (1996–1998) Nick Browne-Wilkinson, Baron Browne-Wilkinson (1998–2000) Tom Bingham, Baron Bingham of Cornhill (2000–2008) Nick Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers (200830 September 2009)

List of presidents of the Supreme Court

# Image Name Born Alma mater Presidency started Presidency endedDuration Prior senior judicial roles1 Nicholas Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers (age ) King's College, Cambridge 02009-10-01-031 October 2009 02009-10-01-0330 September 2012 Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary (2008–2009)Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (2005–2008)Master of the Rolls (2000–2005) Lord of Appeal in Ordinary (1999–2000)2 David Neuberger, Baron Neuberger of Abbotsbury (age ) Christ Church, Oxford 02009-10-01-031 October 2012 02009-10-01-034 September 2017 Master of the Rolls (2009–2012) Lord of Appeal in Ordinary (2007–2009)Lord Justice of Appeal (2004–2007)3 Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond (age ) Girton College, Cambridge 02009-10-01-035 September 2017 10 January 2020Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (2013–2017)Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (2009–2013)Lord of Appeal in Ordinary (2004–2009)Lord Justice of Appeal (1999–2003)Justice of the High Court, Family Division (1994–1999)4Robert Reed, Baron Reed of Allermuir(age )University of Edinburgh;Balliol College, Oxford13 January 2020Incumbent, (retires 10 January 2027)Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (2018–2020)Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (2012–2018)Senator of the College of Justice (1998–2012)5Michael Briggs, Lord Briggs of Westbourne23 December 1954 (age 71)Magdalen College, OxfordJanuary 2027 (Upcoming)Presidency not startedPresidency not startedJustice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (2017–2027, Incumbent) Lord Justice of Appeal (2013–2017) Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster (2012–2013)

See also Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Senior President of Tribunals Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Lord President of the Court of Session

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