Tuesday 6 May 2025
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 MTHS 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 Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers.
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 MTHS 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.