| President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom |
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| Style | The Right Honourable |
| Appointer | UK Monarch, on advice of a Selection commission |
| Term length | Life tenure (until mandatory retirement at age 70); may be removed on the address of both Houses of Parliament[1] |
| Inaugural holder | Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, 1 October 2009 |
| Formation | Constitutional Reform Act 2005 1 October 2009 |
| Deputy | Lord Hope of Craighead |
The President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the head of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The office is equivalent to the now-defunct position of Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, also known as the Senior Law Lord, who was the highest ranking Lord of Appeal in Ordinary. The holder of this title was the head of the judicial branch of the House of Lords.
The office is currently held by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, having been the Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary when the judicial functions of the House of Lords were transferred to the new Supreme Court on 1 October 2009 under the provisions of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.
From 1969 to 1984, Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary historically was the law lord who was senior by virtue of having served in the House for the longest period. In 1984, the Lord Chancellor Lord Hailsham amended the system so that two of the law lords were named senior and second senior by commission. The purpose of the change was to allow an ailing Lord Diplock to step aside from presiding, yet remain a law lord.[2] With the appointment of Lord Bingham of Cornhill, the role of Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary became a separately appointed position. The Second Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary was then in fact the law lord who has served for the longest period. When Lord Bingham retired in September 2008, he was replaced by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, who was the last to serve.[3]
By Royal Warrant published on 1 October 2009, Queen Elizabeth II established a place for the President of the Supreme Court in the order of precedence: the President of the Supreme Court ranks after the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords.
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Prior to 22 May 1965, precedence among law lords was determined by seniority in the peerage rather than by appointment. Thereafter, seniority was determined by date of appointment. From 1984 forward, the senior and second senior law lords were appointed by commission.[2]
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