Law Weblog

Former solicitor – Lord Justice Collins – to become a Supreme Court judge

Monday 13 April 2009 at 8:36 am | In News | Post Comment Lord Justice Collins, 67, is the first judge from the solicitors’ branch of the legal profession to reach the UK’s highest court.
His appointment was announced by Downing Street last week.

Also announced was Sir Brian Kerr, 61, the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.
They will become “Justices of the Supreme Court”.

Lord Justice Collins was admitted as a solicitor 1968; qualified as a solicitor-advocate; took silk in 1997; deputy High Court judge in 1997; High Court in 2000; Court of Appeal in 2007. He succeeds Lord Hoffmann who is retiring.

Sir Brian was called to the Bar in Northern Ireland in 1970; Bar of England and Wales in 1974; took silk in 1983; High Court judge in Northern Ireland in 1993; Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland in 2004. He succeeds Lord Carswell, who is retiring.

The Supreme Court is on schedule to start on October 1 this year.