£7m annual cost burden of Supreme Court

The proposed Supreme Court could cost as much as £7m per year to run, it was revealed this morning (November 16).

Giving evidence to the Commons Constitutional Affairs Committee, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, said the current estimate for running and maintaining the UK’s top court is around £7m. The cost of maintaining the Law Lords within the House of Lords, not counting salaries, is just in excess of £600,000.

Lord Falconer said one possible method of funding the Supreme Court would be by raising the cost of a civil fee by between 20p and 50p. This would apply at all levels of civil cases.

In his evidence, Lord Falconer also confirmed that the shortlist for the location of the Supreme Court is Somerset House and the Middlesex Guildhall. Investigations into the suitability of both buildings are ongoing.

The Lord Chancellor said of the Supreme Court: "It is a very important thing to do and it is the right thing to do."