Nick Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers

Nicholas Addison Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers, KG, GBS, PC[2] (born 21 January 1938) is a British former senior judge.

"Lord Phillips" redirects here. For the Liberal Democrat peer, see Andrew Phillips, Baron Phillips of Sudbury.

The Right Honourable
The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers
KG GBS PC
Parliamentary portrait of The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers
President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
In office
1 October 2009 – 30 September 2012
Nominated byJack Straw
Appointed byElizabeth II
DeputyThe Lord Hope of Craighead
Preceded byOffice created
Succeeded byThe Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury
Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
In office
1 October 2008 – 30 September 2009
DeputyThe Lord Hoffmann
The Lord Hope of Craighead
Preceded byThe Lord Bingham of Cornhill
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
In office
3 October 2005 – 30 September 2008
Nominated byLord Falconer
Appointed byElizabeth II
Preceded byThe Lord Woolf
Succeeded byThe Lord Judge
Master of the Rolls
In office
6 June 2000 – 3 October 2005
Preceded byThe Lord Woolf
Succeeded byThe Lord Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony
Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
In office
12 January 1999 – 6 June 2000
Preceded byThe Lord Lloyd of Berwick
Succeeded byThe Lord Scott of Foscote
Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong
Assumed office
1 October 2012
Appointed byLeung Chun-ying
Personal details
Born (1938-01-21) 21 January 1938[1]
NationalityBritish
SpouseChristylle Marie-Thérèse Rouffiac
Children2, including Marie
Residence(s)Hampstead, London
Alma materKing's College, Cambridge
Chinese name
Chinese范理申

Phillips was the inaugural President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, holding office between October 2009 and October 2012. He was the last Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary and the first Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales to be head of the English judiciary when that function was transferred from the Lord Chancellor in April 2006.[3] Before his chief justiceship, he was Master of the Rolls from 2000 to 2005. He sits as a crossbencher.

Early life

Phillips was born 21 January 1938. He was educated at Bryanston School (where he was appointed a governor of the school in 1975, he has been chairman of its governors since 1981). He undertook National Service with the Royal Navy and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, being commissioned as an officer.[4]

After two years' military service he went to King's College, Cambridge, where he read law. In 1962, he was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple, where he was a Harmsworth Scholar. He undertook pupillage at 2 Essex Court Chambers (with the Anglo-American QC, Waldo Porges) and subsequently obtained a tenancy there, later moving to 1 Brick Court (now Brick Court Chambers). In 1973, he was appointed as Junior Counsel to the Ministry of Defence and to the Treasury in Maritime and Admiralty matters. On 4 April 1978, he became Queen's Counsel.[5]

Judicial career

In 1982, Phillips was appointed a Recorder and from 1987 was a full-time High Court Judge on the Queen's Bench Division, with the customary knighthood.[4] He took an interest in legal training, and was Chairman of the Council of Legal Education from 1992 to 1997.[4] He presided over several complex fraud trials including those covering the Robert Maxwell pension fund fraud and Barlow Clowes.[6] In 1995, he became a Lord Justice of Appeal and was appointed to the Privy Council.[4]

On 12 January 1999, he was appointed a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary[7] and created a Life Peer under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 as Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers, of Belsize Park in the London Borough of Camden.[8]

He then succeeded Harry, Lord Woolf as Master of the Rolls on 6 June 2000.[9] He conducted an inquiry into the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.[10] He served as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 2005 to 2008, when he was reappointed as a Law Lord.[4]

Since 2008, Phillips was the Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary until he became the first president of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom on 1 October 2009.[4]

Queen Elizabeth II elevated him as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter on 23 April 2011.[11]

On 11 October 2011, Phillips announced his retirement on 30 September 2012, almost four months before the mandatory retirement age for British judges at turning 75 on 21 January 2013.[12]

After retiring from the bench, Phillips followed Woolf as president of the Qatar International Court at Doha[13] He served on the court from 2012 to 2018.[4] He also acts as an arbitrator.[6]

In March 2012, the Government of Hong Kong SAR appointed Phillips as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.[4] He also serves as President of the British Maritime Law Association and Chairman of the European Maritime Law Organisation.[14][4]

Personal life

Phillips is currently married to Christylle Marie-Thérèse Rouffiac, and lives in Hampstead, London. One of his two children is novelist Marie Phillips.

Phillips is a member of Brooks's and the Garrick Clubs.[4] He was also appointed the inaugural Distinguished Fellow and visiting professor of The Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London.[15]

He received honorary degrees of Doctor of Laws (Hon. LLD) from Exeter (1998), Birmingham (2003), London (2004), Wake Forest University (2010), and the International Institute of Maritime Law, and of Doctor of Civil Law (Hon. DCL) from City University, London (2003).[4]

Phillips served as Chancellor of Bournemouth University from 2009 until 2018, being succeeded by broadcaster and author, Kate Adie.[16]

Styles
  • Nicholas Phillips Esq (birth–1978)
  • Nicholas Phillips Esq QC (1978–1987)
  • Mr Justice Phillips (1987–1995)
  • Lord Justice Phillips PC (1995–1999)
  • The Rt Hon The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers PC (1999–2011)
  • The Rt Hon The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers KG PC (2011–2023)
  • The Rt Hon The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers KG GBS PC (2023–present)

Arms
Coat of arms of Nick Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers
Coronet
Coronet of a Baron
Crest
On a Rock of Fossil Limestone Proper a Leopard sejant Argent spotted Azure grasping with the dexter forepaw a Curtana Argent hilt pommel and quillons Azure.
Escutcheon
Azure a Fess Ermine between three Ammonites Argent ribbed Sable.
Supporters
On either side a Curlew Proper.
Orders
Garter circlet
Banner
The banner of the Baron's arms used as knight of the Garter depicted at St George's Chapel.

See also

Decided cases

References
  1. "Birthday's today". The Telegraph. 21 January 2014. Archived from the original on 21 January 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014. Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, President of The Supreme Court, 2009–12, 76
  2. Society of Editors — Press regulation: Group of six appointed, King's College (Cambridge) Law Society guest list & Remarks at 2011 Annual Meeting of The American Law Institute, p. 3 (Accessed 5 April 2018)
  3. 23 July 2009 The Times Law 100, 2009 "No surprise, probably, that Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers takes the No 1 slot."
  4. "Phillips of Worth Matravers, Baron, (Nicholas Addison Phillips) (born 21 January 1938)". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u30733. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  5. "No. 47505". The London Gazette. 6 April 1978. p. 4164.
  6. "Lord Phillips | Brick Court Chambers". www.brickcourt.co.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  7. Beamish, David. "Lords of Appeal in Ordinary 1876–2009". Peerages. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  8. "No. 55376". The London Gazette. 15 January 1999. p. 479.
  9. "No. 55870". The London Gazette. 9 June 2000. p. 6308.
  10. "BSE victims to get millions". The Guardian. 22 October 2000. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  11. "Lord Phillips and Admiral Boyce made Knights of Garter". BBC News. 23 April 2011.
  12. "Retiring Supreme Court president defends human rights". BBC News. 11 October 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  13. Phillips, Nicholas A. (April 2012). "Article of Lord Phillips". International Review of Law. Qscience.com. 2012 (1): 3. doi:10.5339/irl.2012.3.
  14. "BMLA Officers". British Maritime Law Association. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  15. "Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers". kcl.ac.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  16. "Broadcaster and author Kate Adie begins tenure as new BU Chancellor". bournemouth.ac.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
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