Judiciary Act 2024

Legislative Branch


Judiciary Act 2024
EXPLANATORY NOTES
This bill establishes the judiciary branch and the supreme court, as well as King's Counsels.

[AS INTRODUCED]
A
BILL
TO

establish the Judiciary and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom; and for connected purposes.

BE IT ENACTED by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1     The Judiciary

  1. The Judiciary of the United Kingdom shall consist of—
    1. the Lord President of the Supreme Court (4iC);
    2. the Deputy Lord President of the Supreme Court (5iC);
    3. a maximum of two (2) Senior Lord Justices (6iC);
    4. a maximum of eight (8) Lord Justices (7iC);
    5. a maximum of four (4) Barristers (8iC);
    6. a maximum of nine (9) Solicitors (9iC);
  2. Each member of the Judiciary shall be responsible for the completion of tasks and other duties assigned by the Lord President of the Supreme Court, or where required by law.
  3. The Lord President of the Supreme Court, the Deputy President of the Supreme Court, the Senior Lord Justices and the Lord Justices shall collectively be known as justices of the Supreme Court, and shall be members of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and shall be considered the leadership of the Judiciary.

2     The Supreme Court

  1. The Supreme Court shall be the highest court in the United Kingdom.
  2. The Justices of the Supreme Court shall take an oath, to ensure impartiality, before being invested with the power to sit on hearing panels or participate in constitutional review.
    1. The wording of the oath shall be: “I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this Realm, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.”
    2. If the employee refuses to take the oath, they shall be removed as a Justice of the Supreme Court.
    3. Breaching this oath shall be a Class B crime.
  3. The justices of the Supreme Court shall be considered Lords Spiritual and shall hold a seat in the House of Lords.

3     King’s Counsel

  1. The Prime Minister may, on the advice of the Secretary of State for Justice, appoint employees as King’s Counsel.
  2. Employees appointed as King’s Counsel shall take the same oath as Justices of the Supreme Court, with the same crime for breaching the oath, and if they refuse to take the oath, their appointment as King’s Counsel shall be void.
  3. The Prime Minister may, on the advice of the Secretary of State for Justice, revoke the appointment of employees as King’s Counsel.
  4. The Secretary of State for Justice shall keep a publicly displayed list of all employees who are King’s Counsel.

4     Amendments

  1. The Lord President of the Supreme Court may by order amend Section 1 of this Act.