Public Lectures from the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge

The Rt. Hon. Lord Lloyd-Jones addresses the Exploring Law Conference

·44 min·4 clips

Lord Lloyd-Jones reveals how the UK Supreme Court, created in 2009, moved just a few hundred yards to symbolize judicial independence from Parliament.

The episode features a lecture by Lord Lloyd-Jones, a justice of the UK Supreme Court, at the 51st Exploring Law Conference. He begins by noting it's his first time addressing the conference and humorously warns he can empty lecture theatres. Lord Lloyd-Jones outlines his talk's focus on two courts: the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, both housed in the same building in Parliament Square, London. He details the Supreme Court's establishment under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, replacing the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords to enhance separation of powers. The court moved from the Palace of Westminster to the Middlesex Guildhall, symbolizing judicial independence and improving public access, with 81,000 visitors in 2025. Lord Lloyd-Jones explains the Supreme Court's jurisdiction as the final appeal court for the UK, hearing only cases that raise arguable points of law of general public importance, about 50 appeals per year. He describes the court's structure, with appeals typically heard by panels of five, seven, or nine justices, and the process for granting permission to appeal. The lecture covers how cases progress from trial courts to the Court of Appeal and then to the Supreme Court, which focuses on legal questions rather than retrying facts. Lord Lloyd-Jones discusses the court's working methods, including pre-hearing readings, post-hearing deliberations starting with the most junior justice, and the writing of reserved judgments. He highlights the high rate of unanimous decisions (92% in the last year) but emphasizes the importance of dissenting judgments in testing reasoning and influencing future law. The talk addresses the Supreme Court's constitutional role, noting it cannot strike down primary legislation due to parliamentary sovereignty but engages with human rights via the Human Rights Act and devolution issues. Examples include the Rwanda policy case and the Miller cases on Brexit and prorogation. Lord Lloyd-Jones then shifts to the Privy Council, explaining its origins in the British Empire and current role as the final appeal court for 29 overseas jurisdictions, such as Trinidad and Tobago and the Cayman Islands. He describes its unique advisory function to the monarch, variations in allowing dissenting judgments, and use of video links for hearings. The lecture concludes with encouragement for the audience to pursue legal careers, noting the rewarding nature of the profession.

As heard by us

A clear, measured guide to appellate courts, dissent, and the way legal reasoning develops.

Lord Jones sets the United Kingdom's Supreme Court and the Privy Council in practical context, explaining how the two Parliament Square courts fit into the wider legal system.

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Why you'd press play

You get a formal lecture-room tour of the UK Supreme Court and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, plus a careful case for why judges' freedom to disagree can matter.

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