Atlantic Chambers’ Andrew Williams discusses the opening of the Supreme Court.

12/10/2009

A WEEK last Thursday the Supreme Court opened.

To many people, this has involved little more than their Lordships from the House of Lords moving from one building to another and giving themselves a new name - Supreme Court Justices.

It’s a process which has cost the taxpayer £77m.

Many lawyers see great significance in moving the final appellate court in the land out of the parliament building.  It is an explicit act of separating the state from the judiciary. 

It is hoped that this will result in greater judicial independence and a willingness to square up to the government on matters of public importance. 

I personally shall miss the formality of standing in the corridor with opposing barristers, our heads bowed, as their Lordships file past into the upper chamber.  Yet what I will remember most about the House of Lords is the undeniable technical abilities and ferocious intellects of their Lordships.  

That will not change in the new Supreme Court.

What makes such abilities more impressive is the diverse areas of law which the same Supreme Court Justices have to deal with. 

As a property law barrister, I find great advantages in being specialist.

Tomorrow over a hundred lawyers will attend the Atlantic Chambers Property Law Conference, keen to make sure that they too stay up-to-date in this difficult area of law.   

As for Crime, Family and Public Law – I’ll let the Supreme Court worry about that!

• Andrew Williams is chairing Atlantic’s Property Law Conference on October 14 at the Marriott Hotel, Liverpool.

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