Appointments to the Supplementary Panel
Lady Black and Sir Declan Morgan appointed to the Supplementary Panel of the UK Supreme Court
31 August 2021
The UK Supreme Court is pleased to announce that Lady Black and Sir Declan Morgan will be joining the Supplementary Panel with effect from Wednesday, 1 September.
Welcoming them both, President of the Supreme Court Lord Reed said: "What a pleasure it will be to have Lady Black back in the Court again following her retirement as a justice. Lady Black will be of particular assistance to the Court in dealing with appeals in the field of family law, an area in which she possesses outstanding expertise and experience."
"Sir Declan Morgan has sat on the Court in the past while serving as Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland. He will be of particular assistance to the Court in dealing with appeals from Northern Ireland, and we look forward to him sitting with us on a range of cases" added Lord Reed.
Section 39 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 provides for the appointment of a Supplementary Panel, upon which the Court can call when additional judges are needed to form a panel of the requisite number. Those appointed to the Supplementary Panel have to be appointed while still in office or within two years of ceasing to hold office. A Supplementary Panel member ceases to be on the panel after five years of ceasing to hold a qualifying office or (if earlier) when 75. Members of the Supplementary Panel are not justices of the court. They can only sit on the court in the event that they are requested to do so by the President.
ENDS
For more information, or if you have any questions, please contact a member of the UK Supreme Court press office:
Sophia Linehan-Biggs - Joint Head of Communications (Monday to Wednesday)
020 7960 1887
Janet Coull Trisic - Joint Head of Communications (Wednesday to Friday)
020 7960 1887