On the 5th July 2024, former barrister Shabana Mahmood was named as Lord Chancellor and secretary of state for justice in the new Labour government. Shabana Mahmood was sworn in as lord chancellor at the Royal Courts of Justice on the 15th July 2024 ahead of the opening of parliament on 17 July 2024.
Attorney General Richard Hermer KC and Solicitor General Sarah Sackman were also sworn in at the same time.
As the Secretary of State for Justice, Shabana Mahmood MP, heads the Ministry of Justice.
Shabana Mahmood was appointed Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice on 5 July 2024. They were elected as the MP for Birmingham Ladywood in July 2024.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Bio gov.uk
You may also be interested in our article on the Lady Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls.
What is the role of the Lord Chancellor ?
The Lord Chancellor is one of the most ancient offices of state, dating back many centuries.
The Lord Chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking even the prime minister.
The Lord Chancellor is responsible for the administration of the courts, prison system, legal aid, and probation services in England and Wales
The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister and is a senior member of the Cabinet. They head the Ministry of Justice as the Secretary of State for Justice.
You may also be interested in our article about the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 which explains the transfer of some powers from the Lord Chancellor to the Lord Chief Justice.
Oath of the Lord Chancellor
The Lord Chancellor takes a sincere and solemn Oath from Part 2 Section 17 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005
“I, , do swear that in the office of Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain I will respect the rule of law, defend the independence of the judiciary and discharge my duty to ensure the provision of resources for the efficient and effective support of the courts for which I am responsible. So help me God.”
Oath of the Lord Chancellor Part 2 Section 17 Constitutional Reform Act 2005
What is the role of the Secretary of State for Justice ?
According to the gov.uk webpage for the Secretary of State for Justice, it lists the ministerial roles as follows :-
Responsibilities
- Oversight of all portfolios and Ministry of Justice strategy
- Oversight of departmental COVID-19 response supported by other ministers according to portfolio
- Oversight of international business and future relations with the EU
- MoJ support for the Union
- Resourcing of the department
- Functions of the Lord Chancellor
- Judicial policy including pay, pensions and diversity (these and other operational decisions affecting the judiciary are reserved to the Lord Chancellor)
- Corporate services
Previous Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
- The Rt Hon Alex Chalk KC 2023 to 2024
- The Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP 2022 to 2023 (Lord Bully)
- The Rt Hon Brandon Lewis CBE MP 2022 to 2022
- The Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP 2021 to 2022
- The Rt Hon Robert Buckland KC MP 2019 to 2021
- The Rt Hon David Gauke 2018 to 2019
- The Rt Hon David Lidington CBE 2017 to 2018
- The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP 2016 to 2017
- The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP 2015 to 2016
- The Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP 2012 to 2015
- The Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke KC 2010 to 2012
Photo Credit : Shabana Mahmood
We recommend you should always seek formal legal advice if required, from a qualified and reputable lawyer (solicitor or barrister).
We have a number of links to Free Legal Resources and Legal Organisations on our Free Legal Advice , Legal Aid and Pro Bono pages.
Read the reviews of Junior Sussex Barrister Gavin Howe and Legal 500 Junior Barrister Eleanor Battie
“He is awful, underhanded and should not be practising law!”
“She is a one-woman legal A Team”
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Lord Chancellor was last updated on the 6th October 2024
