Lord Doherty appointed as a Justice of the UK Supreme Court

His Majesty The King has approved the appointment of the Right Hon Lord Doherty as a Justice of the Supreme Court. The King made the appointment on the advice of the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor, following the recommendation of an independent selection commission. Lord Doherty has sat as a judge of the Inner Court of Session in Edinburgh since 2020.

Raymond Doherty was born in Stirling and went to school in Alloa and Dumfries. He studied law at the University of Edinburgh, Hertford College, Oxford, and Harvard Law School. He was admitted as an advocate in 1984 and was the first recipient of the Lord Reid scholarship. At the Bar he had a predominantly civil practice, with emphases on commercial law, property law, public law, and valuation for rating; but he also practised in many other areas. Between 1990 and 1997 he was a standing junior counsel to UK Government departments. He was elected as Clerk of the Faculty of Advocates in 1990 and held that office until 1995. He took silk in 1997. Between 1998 and 2001 he served as an Advocate-depute (prosecuting counsel).

Lord Doherty became a judge of the Court of Session and High Court of Justiciary in 2010. He has been a judge of the Lands Valuation Appeal Court since 2011. He was a judge of the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery) between 2013 and 2020, and a chairman of the Competition Appeal Tribunal between 2015 and 2020. He was a commercial judge and the exchequer judge between 2014 and 2020, and was principal commercial judge between 2018 and 2020. He became an Inner House judge in 2020, and a judge of the Registration Appeal Court earlier this year. He sat in the recent JCPC appeal Cable and Wireless Jamaica Ltd v Abrahams [2025] UKPC 44. He was joint editor of Armour on Valuation for Rating from 1990 to 2021, and has been general editor since then. He was recently elected an honorary bencher of Middle Temple. He is married with three adult children.

Speaking on his appointment Lord Doherty said:

"I am thrilled and honoured to be appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court. I look forward very much to working with my fellow Justices and with other colleagues at the Supreme Court and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.”

The President of the Supreme Court, Lord Reed, said:

“I am very pleased that Lord Doherty has been appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court. He is an exceptionally able judge, with sound judgement and long experience of the Scottish legal system. His appointment will add to the strength of the Court.”

Lord Doherty will be sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court in early 2026. 

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