Shabana Mahmood, MP for Birmingham Ladywood and former practising barrister, will be Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.
She was called to the Bar in 2003 and is now one of two women to hold the post and the first observant Muslim to do so. She is the first Lord Chancellor to swear their oath on the Qur’an.
The president of the Law Society of England and Wales, Nick Emmerson, congratulated the new justice secretary Shabana Mahmood, on her appointment:
“The appointment of the new justice secretary Shabana Mahmood is a unique opportunity to bring much-needed change to our justice system and address the longstanding neglect and underinvestment that have left it on the verge of collapse.
"The challenges ahead are significant, and immediate solutions are unlikely while other priorities – like the prison crisis – demand urgent attention.”
He believes that turning the justice system around is a long-term project, requiring a collaborative effort between the government and all involved in the system itself. He continues:
"We look forward to working with Shabana Mahmood over the coming parliament and sharing the insight and experience of our members to rebuild our justice system, harness the economic power of legal services and ensure access to justice for all.”
Starmer has also appointed Richard Hermer KC as the new Attorney General and Sarah Sackman MP as Solicitor General. Both are newly appointed from Matrix Chambers, marking the first time this has happened.
Chair of the Bar Council, Sam Townend KC, believes that the Prime Minister’s new appointments demonstrate his legal focus. He said:
“The appointment by the Prime Minister of Richard Hermer KC as Attorney General, with a stellar career as a public lawyer at the self-employed Bar behind him, sends a strong message of the Government’s intention to observe domestic law obligations and commitment to the international rules-based order.
“The UK’s tremendous legal services market, including £5.7 billion of legal exports, depends upon its reputation as stalwart adherents to the rule of law. The Bar Council hopes that Lord Hermer KC’s appointment is the start of the process of restoration of our legal reputation abroad.”
The Bar Council has issued a call for greater consistency in remote hearings and increased investment in court technology based on findings from a new report on the administration and delivery of remote justice.
