600 years on, House stops lording over law

More than 600 years of British history and tradition ended
when Parliament’s upper chamber, the unelected House of Lords, ceased to also
be the nation’s highest court.

The 12 ‘Law Lords’ convened in their debating chamber and
delivered the institution’s final seven judgments. The Lords of Appeal in
Ordinary, as they’re formally known, are moving to the Supreme Court of the UK
on October 1.

The House of Lords has been operating as a court since
1399. Prior to that the full Parliament could weigh cases. While the House of
Lords has kept separate judicial and legislative functions since 1876, the two
weren’t physically divided. After hundreds of years it looks ‘unusual’ for
lawmakers to be involved in judicial affairs, and the Supreme Court is a ‘nice
symbol’ of modernity.

The new court will be located in a refurbished building
overlooking Parliament Square. It will be made up of 11 of the 12 Judges that
worked in the House of Lords. Anthony Clarke will be the 12th Justice, and the
first to be appointed directly to the Supreme Court. Nicholas Phillips, now
senior law lord, will be the first President of the UK Supreme Court.

While ‘constitutionally nothing will change,’ the symbolic
importance of physically separating the Legislature and the judiciary is
significant, head of Justice, a UK human rights and law reform organisation.

(Source : The Times of India, 31-7-2009)