Reflections on the Supreme Court in 2024

• The Supreme Court’s composition, judgments delivered, and topics covered in 2024.

There were no changes to the complement of Supreme Court justices during 2024 and none of the 12 is due to be replaced during 2025. Lord Hodge, the deputy president, has let it be known that he will retire at the end of 2025, even though he will then be only 72, two and a half years short of the compulsory retirement age. Lord Richards is required to retire by June 2026, when he reaches 75. It is to be hoped that at least one of the replacement justices in 2026 will be female, since at present there are only two women on the court. Lord Reed, the president of the court, has already served for longer than anyone else (12 years) and can, if he wishes, continue in post until 2031.

In 2024 four judges from the supplementary panel