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17 January 2019 / Brice Dickson
Issue: 7824 / Categories: Features , Profession , In Court
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Supreme justice: a year in review

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Brice Dickson outlines the Supreme Court highlights for 2018
 
  • Personnel, appeals and dissent.
  • Appearances and judgments.

In the last 16 months the composition of the Supreme Court has changed significantly. Of the 12 Justices in post on 30 September 2017, only six remain there today: Lady Hale (President), Lord Reed (Deputy President), Lord Kerr, Lord Wilson, Lord Carnwath and Lord Hodge. They have a collective experience of 52 years’ service in the country’s top court, Lady Hale alone having been there for 15 years. Lady Black, Lord Lloyd-Jones and Lord Briggs replaced Lord Toulson, Lord Neuberger and Lord Clarke during October 2017. Lady Arden and Lord Kitchin replaced Lord Mance (Lady Arden’s husband) and Lord Hughes in October 2018. This month Lord Sales has replaced Lord Sumption, who retired in December 2018. When Lord Mance retired, the position of deputy president was granted to Lord Reed.

All being well there should be no changes in personnel during 2019, but Lady Hale must retire by January 2020, Lord Carnwath by

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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Jurit LLP—Caroline Williams

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Private wealth and tax team welcomes cross-border specialist as consultant

Freeths—Michelle Kirkland Elias

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International hospitality and leisure specialist joins corporate team as partner

Flint Bishop—Deborah Niven

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Firm appoints head of intellectual property to drive northern growth

NEWS
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NLJ this week: No such thing as a ‘Welsh seat’
Talk of a reserved ‘Welsh seat’ on the Supreme Court is misplaced. In NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC explains that the Constitutional Reform Act treats ‘England and Wales’ as one jurisdiction, with no statutory Welsh slot
NLJ this week: Jury reform risks justice for efficiency’s sake
The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
NLJ this week: Crypto fightback offers ‘new frontier for law’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
NLJ this week: Time to revive the duty to report crime?
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
NLJ this week: When are experts truly ‘necessary’?
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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