Swearing-in
Swearing-in of Lord Justice Stephens as Justice of the Supreme Court
Thursday 1 October 2020, 9.30am
Closed ceremony at the Supreme Court
On Thursday 1 October at 9.30am, Lord Justice Stephens will be sworn in as Justice of the Supreme Court in a closed ceremony in Courtroom 1.
The Supreme Court is making every effort to maintain a functioning court system in support of the administration of justice and rule of law during this challenging time. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the swearing-in ceremony will be modified to ensure that latest Government guidance on social distancing is observed.
The ceremony will take place in Courtroom 1, in the Supreme Court building. It will be a closed event with only a few of Lord Stephens' family members in attendance. Lord Stephens will recite the judicial oath in the presence of the President of the Supreme Court, Lord Reed. Whilst some justices will attend the ceremony in person, others will attend virtually.
The ceremony will be live streamed on the Supreme Court website and, a short time after the event, will be available to view 'on demand' via the Court's YouTube channel
Watch swearing-in of Lord Stephens as Justice of the Supreme Court
Notes to Editors
- Lord Justice Stephens
- To request an image of Lord Justice Stephens following the ceremony please email rebecca.lowson@supremecourt.uk. You can gain access to the footage of the ceremony through contacting Millbank, in the usual way.
- The appointment of Lord Justice Stephens was announced by 10 Downing Street on 25 August 2020 . He replaces Lord Kerr, who will retire on 30 September 2020.
- Latest advice and guidance for Court users on arrangements during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic are available on the Supreme Court website.
Sir Ben Stephens was educated at Manchester University. He was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 1977, the Bar of England and Wales in July 1978 and to the Bar of Ireland in 1996.
He took Silk in 1996. He was a senior member of the Government Civil Panel of Counsel from 2004 to January 2007.
He held a number of positions at the Bar including Vice Chairman of the Executive Council of the Inn of Court of Northern Ireland and Vice Chairman of the General Council of the Bar of Northern Ireland.
He was appointed as a High Court Judge in Northern Ireland in 2007. He was assigned to the Family Division from 2008 and to the Queen's Bench Division from 2014.
He was Hague Convention Liaison judge for international cases involving child abduction between 2008 and 2014.
He was a judge of the Tax and Chancery Chamber of the Upper Tribunal 2013 to 2017 and he is Chairman of the Council of Law Reporting for Northern Ireland.
Since June 2013 to date he has been a Commissioner in the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission first as a High Court Judge and then as a Lord Justice of Appeal.
He was appointed Senior Lord Justice of Appeal in September 2017.
Following the swearing in ceremony, Lord Justice Stephens will be known as Lord Stephens.
ENDS
For further information, or if you have any questions, please contact:
- Janet Coull Trisic, Head of Communications
- Rebecca Lowson, Media and Communications Manager
janet.Coull-Trisic@supremecourt.uk / 07825 283 877