Lord Gill given Supreme Court farewell

Lord Gill, former Lord President of the Court of Session, heard his final appeal as a member of the UK Supreme Court’s supplementary panel this week.

To mark the occasion, Martin Kingston QC (who was appearing for the appellants in a planning case, and spoke on behalf of the bar); Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court; and Lord Hodge, Justice of the Supreme Court all gave valedictory remarks paying tribute to Lord Gill’s outstanding legal career in Scotland.

Lord Neuberger described Lord Gill’s judicial opinions (judgments) as “models of authority, conciseness and lucidity from which many other judges, including me, would benefit”, going on to thanks Lord Gill for his “enormous and long-lasting contribution to the development of the law and the rule of law in Scotland and the UK generally.”

Lord Gill thanked those who gave valedictory comments, speaking of his “honour and privilege” of sitting as a judge both in Scotland and in the UK Supreme Court.

Lord Gill has sat occasionally in the Supreme Court throughout his time as Lord President and since, as a member of the ‘supplementary panel’ of senior judges who may be called upon to hear appeals alongside Supreme Court justices. Lord Gill reaches the statutory retirement age of 75 on 25 February 2017.

The valedictory remarks can be watched from 1:25hr in the video footage of the Supreme Court’s afternoon session from Thursday 23 February 2017.