Constitutional Adjudication and Appointments to the uk Supreme Court

Abstract

This chapter discusses the interactions between the role of the United Kingdom (UK) Supreme Court today and the judicial selection process for appointment to the UK Supreme Court. The UK Supreme Court has the exact jurisdiction that the judicial House of Lords had. It is not a distinct court dealing with matters as such, unlike, for example, the French Constitutional Council. The composition of the UK Supreme Court is a legitimate focus for consideration, not least because, in the context of human rights at least, it bears relevance to the way in which its judges reach their decisions. For the time being, appointment to the UK Supreme Court does not greatly differ from appointments to the English bench. The chapter concludes that, while the UK Supreme Court is not a separate Constitutional Court and retains some appellate jurisdiction, it certainly engages in constitutional adjudication. Keywords: adjudication; human rights; judicial selection process; United Kingdom (UK) Supreme Court,