George Leggatt, Lord Leggatt

Lord Leggatt
Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Assumed office
21 April 2020
Nominated byDavid Gauke
Appointed byElizabeth II
Preceded byLord Carnwath of Notting Hill
Lord Justice of Appeal
In office
February 2018 – 21 April 2020
High Court Judge
In office
26 October 2012 – February 2018
Personal details
NationalityBritish
Alma materKing's College, Cambridge
Harvard University
University of Chicago Law School [1]

George Andrew Midsomer Leggatt, Lord Leggatt, PC (born 12 November 1957[2]) is a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the highest court of law in the United Kingdom.

Education

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Leggatt's father is the former Lord Justice of Appeal Sir Andrew Leggatt. Leggatt was educated at Eton College and earned a First-Class Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy at King's College, Cambridge in 1979. He was a Harkness Fellow at Harvard University (1979–80) and received a Diploma in Law with distinction from City Law School in 1981.

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Leggatt was called to the bar (Middle Temple) in 1983 and was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1997. He joined Brick Court Chambers in 1985, where he practised commercial law, including areas such as banking, insurance, sales, and product liability law.[3] He became a recorder in 2002 and was a deputy High Court judge.[4]

On 26 October 2012, he was appointed to the High Court,[5] receiving the customary knighthood in the 2013 Special Honours,[6] and assigned to the Queen's Bench Division. He was appointed as a Lord Justice of Appeal in February 2018.[7]

In July 2019, it was announced Leggatt would become a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom after the retirement of Lord Carnwath. He took the judicial courtesy title of Lord Leggatt and was sworn in on 21 April 2020, in a specially adapted ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lord Leggatt recited the judicial oath in the presence of The Lord Reed of Allermuir, the President of the Supreme Court, whilst the other Justices watched remotely.[8][9]

In 2016 Leggatt was elected a Fellow of Eton College.[10]

Cases

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Biographies of the 7 newly appointed Court of Appeal Judges 2018".
  2. ^ "George Leggatt, QC". Debrett's People of Today. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  3. ^ "George Leggatt QC". Brick Court Chambers. Archived from the original on 11 September 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  4. ^ "Appointment of a High Court Judge – Leggatt, QC" (Press release). Ministry of Justice. 19 October 2012. Archived from the original on 11 July 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  5. ^ "No. 60315". The London Gazette. 31 October 2012. p. 20891.
  6. ^ "No. 60439". The London Gazette. 5 March 2013. p. 4263.
  7. ^ "Biographies of the Court of Appeal judges".
  8. ^ "Appointments to the Supreme Court: 24 July 2019".
  9. ^ "Swearing-in of Lord Justice Leggatt as Justice of the Supreme Court".
  10. ^ Eton College web-site, Governing Body (accessed on 11 June 2019)
  11. ^ Fearn and others v Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery (2023) UKSC 4
  12. ^ "Press Summary" (PDF). www.supremecourt.uk. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  13. ^ "JUDGMENT. Paul and another (Appellants) v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (Respondent" (PDF). www.supremecourt.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2024.