Lord Phillips

Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers is an English judge and current President of the Supreme Court. Lord Phillips was a High Court Judge between 1987-1995, a Lord Justice of Appeal between 1995-1998, a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary between 1999-2000, the Master of the Rolls between 2000-2005, Lord Chief Justice between 2005-2008 and Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 2008-2009. In October 2009 he became President of the new Supreme Court by virtue of occupying the office of Senior Law Lord. In 2011, Lord Phillips was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter, the oldest and most prestigious branch of knighthood in the country.

Lord Phillips was called to the bar (Middle Temple) in 1962, attained Queen's Counsel status in 1978 and became a Recorder in 1982. He became a High Court Judge appointed to the Queen's Bench Division in 1987, a Lord Justice of Appeal in 1995 and a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in 1999. In 2000 he was selected to replace Lord Woolf as Master of the Rolls and in 2005 he again replaced Lord Woolf as the Lord Chief Justice (passing over Lord Woolf's deputy Lord Judge) Following the retirement of the Senior Law Lord, Lord Bingham, he was chosen to take over this office until it was abolished to make way for the new Supreme Court and it's President. In October 2009, Lord Phillips became the first President of the Supreme Court.