UK Supreme Court to sit in Edinburgh

UK Supreme Court - Image credit: unknown

The UK Supreme Court is to sit in Edinburgh later this year – the first time the UK’s highest court has sat outside London.

The court will relocate to the City Chambers, home of the City of Edinburgh Council, for up to four days in June.

The Supreme Court is the highest civil court of appeal for Scotland and also rules on issues regarding the powers of the devolved administrations, such as in the recent Article 50 case.

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Several appeals will be heard during the time in Edinburgh, with at least five of the Supreme Court justices sitting over the course of the visit.

They will be joined by the head of the Scottish judiciary, Lord Carloway, Lord President of the Court of Session.

Unlike other UK courts, Supreme Court proceedings are filmed and as the Supreme Court will not be sitting in a Scottish court building, it is expected that proceedings will be filmed and streamed live online as usual.

There will also be public seating for those interested in observing proceedings live and court staff will give public talks about the work of the court when the justices are not sitting.

Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court, said: "We make every effort to ensure our proceedings are accessible throughout the UK via our free live streaming service.

“However, nothing beats being able to observe courts at first hand. We look forward to welcoming members of the public as well as lawyers during what is intended to be the first of a number of visits to the capital cities of the devolved nations."

Lord Carloway, who will sit alongside Supreme Court justices to hear at least one appeal during the court's visit, said: “I am delighted that it will sit in Edinburgh later this year, in the first of a number of planned visits to cities outside London.

“I welcome the opportunity it provides for the public and the legal community in Scotland to see the court in action."