Lord Briggs Named Next President of the UK Supreme Court, Taking Over From Lord Reed in 2027
Lord Briggs of Westbourne has been appointed the next President of the UK Supreme Court, King Charles announced this week, with the veteran judge set to succeed Lord Reed of Allermuir when he retires from the role in January 2027.
The appointment was made by the King on the advice of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Lord Chancellor David Lammy, following a recommendation from an independent selection commission, in line with the process set out under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. Lord Briggs, 71, will become the fifth person to hold the presidency since the UK Supreme Court was established in 2009, taking over the country’s most senior judicial role from Lord Reed, who has led the court since 2020.
Reacting to the announcement, Lord Briggs described the appointment as a great privilege, saying he looked forward to working with colleagues across both the Supreme Court and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council to deliver justice of the highest quality, transparency and accessibility. Outgoing President Lord Reed welcomed his successor’s appointment, describing Briggs as a judge of the highest distinction with prior experience of judicial leadership, and specifically highlighted his record on improving the accessibility and efficiency of the justice system, both in domestic cases and in matters heard by the Privy Council.
Lord Briggs has served as a Justice of the Supreme Court since 2017. Earlier in his career, he was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal in 2013, and went on to lead the judge-led Chancery Modernisation Review that same year, followed by the Civil Courts Structure Review between 2015 and 2016, an influential review that recommended the establishment of an online civil court in England and Wales. In January 2016, he was appointed Deputy Head of Civil Justice, a role in which he served as the de facto head of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee. Since joining the Supreme Court, Briggs has been involved in a wide range of judicial work, with particular focus on cases concerning the role of equity and fiduciary duty within common law, and has held delegated responsibility for the practice and procedure of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council since 2022.
Lord Briggs’ appointment follows a formal recruitment process that opened earlier this year, with the closing date for applications to succeed Lord Reed set at 5pm on April 17, 2026. As president, Briggs will be expected to foster collegiality among the court’s justices and maintain a collaborative working culture within its administration, alongside a broader leadership and ambassadorial role that includes engagement with parliamentarians and government officials.
The transition comes roughly a year after the Supreme Court separately confirmed the appointment of Lord Sales as its next deputy president, who took up that role in January 2026 following the retirement of the previous deputy president, Lord Hodge. With Lord Briggs’ appointment now confirmed, the Supreme Court’s senior leadership team heading into 2027 is largely settled, ahead of what will mark a significant generational transition at the top of the UK’s highest court.
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