Liz Truss has been removed as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary in Theresa May’s post-election reshuffle.
She is replaced by David Lidington, previously the Minister of State for Europe and Leader of the House of Commons.
Truss was the first woman to hold the office of Lord Chancellor, but her tenure last less than a year. She was appointed in July 2016, replacing Michael Gove.
Her brief stint was an unhappy one in the main, as she came under fire for not more strongly defending judges following attacks on the judiciary by the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and Daily Express.
Lidington is the fourth non-lawyer in a row to hold the post of Lord Chancellor, which previously was traditionally held by a member of the legal profession. It is the 60-year-old’s highest-profile role to date.
Ken Clarke was the last lawyer in the post, being followed by Chris Grayling, Michael Gove and then Truss.
Lidington has a background in business and became MP for Aylesbury in 1992.
Legal commentators expressed their views on Twitter, with many expressing approval.
https://twitter.com/davidallengreen/status/873936496763469824
*collective sound of legal Twitterati Googling 'David Lidington*
— John Bates (@MrJohnBates) June 11, 2017
David Lidington, new Justice Secretary. Some positive noises about international human rights but voted for repeal of Human Rights Act pic.twitter.com/Go3tbX2jat
— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) June 11, 2017
https://twitter.com/pjm1kbw/status/873931306119421953
https://twitter.com/TomGilbart/status/873930221904420864
Others, however, pointed to his Parliamentary voting record on human rights laws.
This is how David Lidington, our new Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, has voted on Social Issues: pic.twitter.com/6bFTH0tnyk
— Shoaib M Khan (@ShoaibMKhan) June 11, 2017