About the UK Supreme Court
On 12 June 2003 the then Prime Minister announced the government's intention to remove the jurisdiction of the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords and transfer it to a new Supreme Court for the United Kingdom.
This move will enhance the independence of the Law Lords and increase the transparency between the top levels of the UK judicial system and Parliament.
The UK Supreme Court was established by Part 3 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and will officially come into being on 1 October 2009. It will replace the House of Lords in its judicial capacity and assume the jurisdiction of the House of Lords under the Appellate Jurisdiction Acts 1876 and 1888.
The Supreme Court will, with a few exceptions, be the final court of appeal in the United Kingdom (see 'what the court will do', below).
The Supreme Court will also have jurisdiction in relation to devolution matters under the Scotland Act 1998, the Northern Ireland Act 1988 and the Government of Wales Act 2006; this was transferred to the Supreme Court from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
Significance to the UK
Courts are the final arbiter between the citizen and state and are therefore a fundamental pillar of the constitution. They must be trusted to be independent and impartial.
What the court will do
The Supreme Court, as well as being the final court of appeal, plays an important role in the furtherance and development of UK law and will only select cases that have an element of wider public interest.
Educational materials
Educational materials, in the areas of citizenship and the law, are being developed in consultation with an education steering group.
Visiting the court
The UK Supreme Court will be situated in the Middlesex Guildhall on Parliament Square, Westminster.
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
The court of final appeal for the UK overseas territories and Crown Dependencies, and for those Commonwealth countries that have retained the appeal to the Queen in Council or, in the case of republics, to the Judicial Committee.