Middle Temple Historical Society | The Abolition of the Judicial Function of the House of Lords [ONLINE]

The Middle Temple Historical Society will be hosting a lecture on the abolition of the judicial function of the House of Lords. 

In 2005, the then Lord Chancellor, Rt Hon Lord Falconer of Thoroton PC KC, made history by announcing the abolition of the House of Lords’ judicial functions and the creation of the UK Supreme Court — a constitutional transformation enacted through the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Act, the Middle Temple Historical Society has invited Lord Falconer to deliver a 30 minute lecture at Middle Temple outlining the salient political and legal considerations that shaped the Blair government’s decision-making process in the run-up to the announcement.

Following the lecture, Professor Lindsay Stirton (University of Sussex) will chair a panel featuring Lord Falconer and Rt Hon Lord Mance of Frognal, who served as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary during this pivotal period and later became the Deputy President of the Supreme Court in September 2017.

This series of occasional lectures on the history of the courts was commenced by the magnificent lecture delivered to the Society by Rt Hon Lord Hope of Craighead, the first Deputy President of the Supreme Court in March 2024. The Middle Temple Historical Society is delighted that Lord Hope has generously agreed to return to Middle Temple to offer his own observations on the lecture and panel discussion to conclude the evening.

This rare gathering brings together key architects and witnesses of one of the most significant constitutional reforms in modern British history. It proffers an opportunity to gain unique insights into how this transformation of the UK’s highest court came about, and its on-going and lasting impact on our legal system.

Members of all four Inns and their guests

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Learning Aims

After this session, students should be able to:

Links to the Professional Statement, wider workings of the Bar, administration of justice or a public interest matter

The QS will align with these elements of the Professional Statement:

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