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30 January 2020 / Brice Dickson
Issue: 7872 / Categories: Features
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Supreme justice: 2019 in review

Brice Dickson outlines the Supreme Court highlights for 2019
  • The court issued 60 decisions in 2019, compared to 67 in 2018 and an annual average of 68 since 2010.

During 2019 the UK Supreme Court gained a higher profile than at any time since its creation in 2019. This was mainly due to its decision in the prorogation case (R(Miller) v The Prime Minister ([2019] UKSC 41), where by 11 to 0 the court ruled that the prime minister, Boris Johnson, had supplied no justifiable reason for advising the Queen to exercise the prerogative power to prorogue Parliament for a period of nearly five weeks. Without doubt the decision marks the high-water mark in the court’s short history to date. It drew huge media attention to the role of the court and to the character of its formidable president, Lady Hale.

In October the court marked its tenth anniversary by having an open day. Among other events there was a talk by the court’s chief executive, Mike Ormerod, and the

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Katten Muchin Rosenman—Charlotte Hill

Katten Muchin Rosenman—Charlotte Hill

Katten strengthens financial markets and funds group in London

Hugh James—Keith Cundall & Lee Hart

Hugh James—Keith Cundall & Lee Hart

Hugh James expands national Serious Injury team with two new Partners

HFW—Rémi Ducloyer

HFW—Rémi Ducloyer

HFW continues Paris office growth with public law Partner hire

NEWS
The Court of Appeal's decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys LLP has lifted months of uncertainty for Chartered Legal Executives while prompting a rethink of regulation and supervision
The assisted dying debate returns to Westminster as Lauren Edwards MP reintroduces legislation that stalled in the House of Lords last session despite clearing the Commons
A little-noticed provision of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 has fundamentally expanded corporate criminal liability
Artificial intelligence is transforming legal practice, but careless reliance on it is creating growing professional risks
The law offers cohabiting couples surprisingly greater protection after one partner dies than when they separate during life
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