British judge
Nicholas Addison Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers , KG GBS PC [ 2]
Phillips was the inaugural President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom , holding office between October 2009 and October 2012. He was the last Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary and the first Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales to be head of the English judiciary when that function was transferred from the Lord Chancellor in April 2006.[ 3] Master of the Rolls from 2000 to 2005. He sits as a crossbencher .
Early life
Phillips was born 21 January 1938. He was educated at Bryanston School (where he was appointed a governor of the school in 1975, he has been chairman of its governors since 1981). He undertook National Service with the Royal Navy and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , being commissioned as an officer.[ 4]
After two years' military service he went to King's College, Cambridge , where he read law. In 1962, he was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple , where he was a Harmsworth Scholar. He undertook pupillage at 2 Essex Court Chambers (with the Anglo-American QC, Waldo Porges) and subsequently obtained a tenancy there, later moving to 1 Brick Court (now Brick Court Chambers ). In 1973, he was appointed as Junior Counsel to the Ministry of Defence and to the Treasury in Maritime and Admiralty matters. On 4 April 1978, he became Queen's Counsel .[ 5]
Judicial career
In 1982, Phillips was appointed a Recorder and from 1987 was a full-time High Court Judge on the Queen's Bench Division , with the customary knighthood .[ 4] Council of Legal Education from 1992 to 1997.[ 4] Robert Maxwell pension fund fraud and Barlow Clowes .[ 6] Lord Justice of Appeal and was appointed to the Privy Council .[ 4]
On 12 January 1999, he was appointed a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary [ 7] Life Peer under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 as Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers , of Belsize Park in the London Borough of Camden .[ 8]
He then succeeded Harry, Lord Woolf as Master of the Rolls on 6 June 2000.[ 9] bovine spongiform encephalopathy .[ 10] Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 2005 to 2008, when he was reappointed as a Law Lord .[ 4]
Since 2008, Phillips was the Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary until he became the first president of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom on 1 October 2009.[ 4]
Queen Elizabeth II elevated him as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter on 23 April 2011.[ 11]
On 11 October 2011, Phillips announced his retirement on 30 September 2012, almost four months before the mandatory retirement age for British judges at turning 75 on 21 January 2013.[ 12]
After retiring from the bench, Phillips followed Woolf as president of the Qatar International Court at Doha [ 13] [ 4] arbitrator .[ 6]
In March 2012, the Government of Hong Kong SAR appointed Phillips as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal .[ 4] [ 14] [ 4]
On 30 September 2024, Lord Phillips announced that he will step down as a non-permanent judge of Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal after the end of his term on that day, due to personal reasons.[ 15]
Personal life
Phillips is married to Christylle Marie-Thérèse Rouffiac, and lives in Hampstead , London . One of his two children is novelist Marie Phillips .
Phillips is a member of Brooks's and the Garrick Clubs .[ 4] Distinguished Fellow and visiting professor of The Dickson Poon School of Law , King's College London .[ 16]
He received honorary degrees of Doctor of Laws (Hon. LLD) from Exeter (1998), Birmingham (2003), London (2004), Wake Forest University (2010), and the International Institute of Maritime Law , and of Doctor of Civil Law (Hon. DCL) from City University, London (2003).[ 4]
Phillips served as Chancellor of Bournemouth University from 2009 until 2018, being succeeded by broadcaster and author Kate Adie .[ 17]
Arms
Coat of arms of Nick Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers
Coronet
Coronet of a Baron Crest
On a Rock of Fossil Limestone Proper a Leopard sejant Argent spotted Azure grasping with the dexter forepaw a Curtana Argent hilt pommel and quillons Azure.
Escutcheon
Azure a Fess Ermine between three Ammonites Argent ribbed Sable.
Supporters
On either side a Curlew Proper.
Orders
Garter circlet Banner
St George's Chapel .
See also
Decided cases
References
^ "Birthday's today" . The Telegraph . 21 January 2014. Archived from the original on 21 January 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014 . Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, President of The Supreme Court, 2009–12, 76 ^ Society of Editors — Press regulation: Group of six appointed , King's College (Cambridge) Law Society guest list & Remarks at 2011 Annual Meeting of The American Law Institute, p. 3 (Accessed 5 April 2018)^ 23 July 2009 The Times Law 100 , 2009 [dead link ] ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Phillips of Worth Matravers, Baron, (Nicholas Addison Phillips) (born 21 January 1938)" . WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO . 2007. doi :10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u30733 . ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4 . Retrieved 26 May 2020 .^ "No. 47505" . The London Gazette ^ a b "Lord Phillips | Brick Court Chambers" . www.brickcourt.co.uk . Retrieved 26 May 2020 .^ Beamish, David. "Lords of Appeal in Ordinary 1876–2009" . Peerages. Retrieved 27 April 2014 . ^ "No. 55376" . The London Gazette ^ "No. 55870" . The London Gazette ^ "BSE victims to get millions" . The Guardian . Retrieved 27 May 2020 .^ "Lord Phillips and Admiral Boyce made Knights of Garter" . BBC News . 23 April 2011.^ "Retiring Supreme Court president defends human rights" . BBC News . 11 October 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2012 .^ Phillips, Nicholas A. (April 2012). "Article of Lord Phillips" . International Review of Law . 2012 (1). Qscience.com: 3. doi :10.5339/irl.2012.3 ^ "BMLA Officers" . British Maritime Law Association . Retrieved 26 May 2020 .^ Grundy, Tom (30 September 2024). "UK's Nicholas Phillips steps down as Hong Kong's top court judge" . Hong Kong Free Press HKFP . ^ "Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers" . kcl.ac.uk . Retrieved 26 May 2020 .^ "Broadcaster and author Kate Adie begins tenure as new BU Chancellor" . bournemouth.ac.uk . Retrieved 5 February 2019 .
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