The next Supreme Court president, Lady Hale, has led the tributes to her retiring predecessor, Lord Neuberger, at his valedictory ceremony.
Lady Hale described Lord Neuberger as a “human whirlwind” who needs to be constantly busy and works “prodigiously hard”, and said that the court had spent “five happy and fruitful years under his leadership”.
She added: “He is committed to promoting the public understanding of the role of the court and the rule of law. The most striking thing about his jurisprudence is his commitment to the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.
Also paying tribute to the retiring justice, Lord Clarke, she added: “We are very sorry to see them go but they go with our heartfelt thanks for everything they have done.”
Lord Clarke described Lord Neuberger as a “tower of strength to us all”, adding: “History will show that his role has been very significant indeed.”
Lord Neuberger, in his own remarks, said that landlord and tenant law “still has a rather special place in my heart”.
He said: “Presiding over the Supreme Court has been an extraordinary privilege. I tried to combine total commitment with a light touch – humour is not inconsistent with serious endeavour, provided it is kept within reasonable bounds.”
He said that his successor, Lady Hale, would be “as outstanding a president as she is and has been a judge”.
Referring to the current uncertain economic and political climate, he added: “The rule of law is fundamental to our civilised society – that is never more true than in challenging times. And an independent and effective judiciary and access to courts for citizens are fundamental to the rule of law.”
Among the other lawyers addressing the ceremony, James Eadie QC said that those attending the valedictory had come to “praise Caesar”, and hailed Lord Neuberger’s reasonableness and generosity as a judge.
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