Second woman on UK Supreme Court as three new judges announced

Downing Street has announced three new Supreme Court Justices.

Lady Justice Black, Lord Justice (David) Lloyd Jones and Lord Justice (Michael) Briggs will join the UK’s highest court.

They are to replace current Supreme Court President Lord Neuberger, Lord Clarke, who are retiring, and Lord Toulson, who retired in summer 2016 before passing away last month.

Lady Justice Black becomes the second woman on the Supreme Court, alongside new Supreme Court President Baroness Hale.

Baroness Hale’s appointment to the presidency, rumoured last night, was also confirmed in a statement from the Supreme Court.

“It is a great honour and a challenge to be appointed to succeed Lord Neuberger” she said. “I look forward to building upon his pioneering achievements, including developing closer links with each part of the United Kingdom, for example by sitting outside London, and improving the ways in which we communicate our work to the public. Recent high-profile cases mean that more people than ever before have heard of the Supreme Court, and we hope that this will help to create a broader understanding of how the judiciary serves society.”

“While I of course look forward to working alongside all my colleagues, it is a particular pleasure for me to be taking up the post at the same time as we welcome only the second ever woman to sit on the UK’s top appeal court.”