Alex Norris sworn in as Lord Chancellor as Michaelmas term opens at Westminster Abbey

What happened

Alex Norris, who has been Justice Minister, was sworn in as Lord Chancellor on 1 October ahead of the traditional service at Westminster Abbey that marks the start of the legal year. The swearing-in ceremony at the Royal Courts of Justice included a statutory oath to uphold the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.

Who attended

The ceremony and Abbey service were attended by senior judiciary and legal figures, including Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr and Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls. Ellie Reeves KC and Andy Slaughter were also sworn in as Attorney General and Solicitor General.

Institutional framing

Baroness Carr described the ceremony as expressing constitutional cooperation between the Lord Chancellor and the judiciary. In his swearing-in speech, Norris said he was a "strong believer in institutions" and pledged to defend the rule of law.

Policy priorities signalled so far

Norris has already been engaged with operational pressures: overcrowded prisons and public and political pressure over early releases. He has announced accelerated funding for prison building that began under the previous government and has raised the prospect of deporting foreign offenders to free up prison spaces, citing an estimate that this could free up to 10,000 places. These measures sit alongside other planned legislation affecting the courts.

The jury question

Political context

Norris took the post in July, replacing David Lammy, after Andy Burnham became Prime Minister. He is the first non-lawyer Lord Chancellor in a Labour cabinet. His swearing-in comes just after the Labour Party Conference, where he reiterated a stance that echoes earlier formulations of being "tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime," and referenced progress on the Hillsborough Law.

What this means for the legal year

The opening service at Westminster Abbey formally marks the start of Michaelmas term, the first of four terms in the court year. For judges, barristers, and the broader legal community, the ceremony is both ceremonial and practical: it signals the judiciary's calendar for the months ahead and offers an early opportunity to engage with the new Lord Chancellor and law officers on operational and legislative issues.

Takeaway

Norris's public commitments focus on institutional support for the courts and operational fixes for prisons. The substantive test of his term will include how he approaches jury reform proposals in the forthcoming Courts and Tribunals Bill and how he balances pressures on prison capacity with legal and human rights considerations.