We know now who the twelve Justices of the Supreme Court will be. In order of seniority; Lord Phillips, Lord Hope, Lord Saville, Lord Rodger, Lord Walker, Baroness Hale, Lord Brown, Lord Mance, Lord Neuberger, Lord Collins, Lord Kerr and Lord Clarke.
Nine of the Justices are former English Judges, eight being former barristers with Lord Collins being the first former solicitor "law lord". The professional backgrounds of the eight are interesting. Four were practitioners at the Commercial Bar (Lords Phillips, Saville, Mance and Clarke). Only one was a Chancery practitioner (Lord Walker). Lord Neuberger was a landlord and tenant specialist who became a Chancery Division Judge. Lord Brown came from a common law background but ended his time in practice as the "Treasury Devil" – doing public law work for the Government – and was a Queen’s Bench Division judge. Baroness Hale was an academic and Law Commissioner before becoming a Family Division judge. Lord Collins was a commercial solicitor and partner in Herbert Smith and was then a judge in the Chancery Division. None came from mainstream criminal or family practice.
The two Scots judges, Lord Hope and Lord Rodger, both spent some time prosecuting criminal cases as "Advocate Deputes". Lord Rodger was also Solicitor General for Scotland and then Lord Advocate. Lord Kerr practised at the Bar in Northern Ireland.
The retirement age for new Justices is 70 – although the current judges can serve until they are 75. The average age of the twelve is currently 67. From Lord Saville, 73 via Lord Brown 72, Lord Walker and Lord Phillips 71, Lord Hope 70, Lord Collins 68, Lord Clarke 66, Lord Mance 65 (66 this week), Baroness Hale and Lord Rodger, 64, to Lord Neuberger 62 and Sir Brian Kerr 61.
