Lord Briggs of Westbourne has been appointed the next President of the United Kingdom Supreme Court, succeeding Lord Reed of Allermuir when his tenure ends in January 2027.
The appointment was formally approved by His Majesty King Charles III following the recommendation of an independent selection commission and the statutory appointment process established under the Constitutional Reform Act.
Lord Briggs, one of the Supreme Court’s most senior justices, will become the fifth President of the court since its establishment in 2009. He is expected to assume office in January 2027, marking a new chapter for the UK’s highest appellate court.
The Supreme Court is the final court of appeal for civil cases across the United Kingdom and criminal cases originating in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It also hears cases involving constitutional and devolution issues, making the presidency one of the most influential judicial positions in the country.
Lord Reed, who has served as President since January 2020, will step down after a distinguished judicial career that included leading the court through several landmark constitutional and public law cases. His successor will inherit responsibility for presiding over hearings, leading the court’s judicial administration and representing the institution nationally and internationally.
Born Michael Townley Featherstone Briggs in Hampshire in 1954, Lord Briggs studied history at Magdalen College, Oxford, before being called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 1978. He later became Queen’s Counsel in 1994 and developed a reputation as one of Britain’s leading chancery and equity lawyers.
His judicial career has included service as a High Court judge in the Chancery Division, Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster and Lord Justice of Appeal before joining the UK Supreme Court in October 2017. During his time on the bench, Lord Briggs has delivered significant judgments in commercial, property and equity law and has been closely associated with reforms aimed at modernising the civil justice system.
The appointment follows the recent transition in the court’s leadership after Lord Sales became Deputy President in January 2026, positioning a new senior judicial team ahead of Lord Briggs’ presidency.
Under the UK’s judicial appointments process, the President of the Supreme Court is selected by an independent commission before the recommendation is approved by the Lord Chancellor, the Prime Minister and ultimately the Monarch. The process is designed to safeguard the independence of the judiciary from political influence.
Lord Briggs’ appointment has been widely viewed as a continuation of the court’s tradition of promoting experienced appellate judges to its highest office, with expectations that he will oversee the court during a period of evolving constitutional and commercial litigation across the United Kingdom.
AbdulBasit Saba is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
