Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers

Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers is a distinguished British jurist who served as the inaugural President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. His career encompasses the highest echelons of the judiciary, including roles as Master of the Rolls and Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. Renowned for his intellectual clarity and administrative skill, he presided over the historic transition of the Law Lords from the House of Lords to the independent Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

Early life and education

Nicholas Addison Phillips was born on 21 January 1938. He received his early education at Bryanston School, an independent school in Dorset. He then undertook national service with the Royal Navy, serving as a sub-lieutenant. Phillips proceeded to King's College, Cambridge, where he read law and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He was called to the bar by Middle Temple in 1962, beginning his journey into the legal profession in England and Wales.

Legal career

Phillips developed a successful practice as a barrister, specialising in commercial law and shipping law. He was appointed as a Queen's Counsel in 1978, recognising his expertise and standing at the Bar of England and Wales. His practice involved significant cases in the Commercial Court and appearances before the Court of Appeal. He also served as a Recorder from 1982 to 1987, gaining early judicial experience. Phillips was elected a Bencher of Middle Temple in 1987.

Judicial career

Phillips's full-time judicial career began in 1987 with his appointment as a High Court judge, receiving the customary knighthood and assigned to the Queen's Bench Division. He presided over a wide range of cases, including high-profile trials. In 1995, he was promoted to the Court of Appeal, becoming a Lord Justice of Appeal and being appointed to the Privy Council. During this period, he chaired the influential BSE inquiry into the United Kingdom BSE outbreak.

Senior Judicial Appointments

Phillips ascended to the most senior judicial offices. In 2000, he succeeded The Lord Woolf as Master of the Rolls, head of the Court of Appeal's Civil Division. He was appointed a life peer as Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers, of Belsize Park in the London Borough of Camden. In 2005, he became Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, the head of the Judiciary of England and Wales. His most historic appointment came in 2009 as the first President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, overseeing its establishment under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and the departure of the Law Lords from the House of Lords. He retired from the Supreme Court in 2012.

Personal life and honours

Lord Phillips married Christylle Marie-Thérèse Rouffiac in 1960; they have two daughters. Beyond his judicial work, he has served as the President of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law and as a Bencher of Middle Temple. He holds several honorary degrees from institutions including the University of Cambridge and the University of London. In 2011, he was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to the law and administration of justice.

Category:1938 births Category:Living people Category:British judges Category:Presidents of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Category:Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour