New justice appointed to the Supreme Court

His Majesty the King has approved the appointment of the Right Hon Lord Doherty as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The King made the appointment on the advice of the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor, following the recommendation of an independent selection commission. Lord Doherty, who has sat as a judge of the Inner Court of Session in Edinburgh since 2020, brings a wealth of experience to his new role.

Born in Stirling, Lord Doherty received his education in Alloa and Dumfries before studying law at the University of Edinburgh. He furthered his education at Hertford College, Oxford, and Harvard Law School. He was admitted as an advocate in 1984, becoming the first recipient of the Lord Reid scholarship. His legal career has predominantly focused on civil practice, particularly in commercial law, property law, public law, and valuation for rating, although his expertise extends to numerous other areas.

From 1990 to 1997, Lord Doherty served as standing junior counsel to various UK Government departments. His prominent role as Clerk of the Faculty of Advocates from 1990 to 1995 saw him significantly influence the legal community, and he took silk in 1997. He was an Advocate-depute, or prosecuting counsel, from 1998 to 2001.

In 2010, he became a judge of the Court of Session and High Court of Justiciary, expanding his judicial responsibilities over the years. He has held positions such as a judge of the Lands Valuation Appeal Court and was involved with the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery) from 2013 to 2020. Lord Doherty's dedication to commercial law saw him serve as principal commercial judge between 2018 and 2020. His editorial contributions include being joint editor of Armour on Valuation for Rating from 1990 to 2021 and serving as the general editor thereafter. He was recently elected an honorary bencher of Middle Temple.

As he prepares to take on this prestigious role, Lord Doherty is expected to be sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court in early 2026, marking a significant milestone in his distinguished legal career. He is married and has three adult children, continuing to balance his professional commitments with family life.