Barristers Shabana Mahmood MP and Richard Hermer KC
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has appointed a pair of fellow barristers to take over the roles of Lord Chancellor and Attorney General after last week’s landslide election victory.
Shabana Mahmood, MP for Birmingham Ladywood, will take up the role of Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. Prior to becoming an MP in 2010 she practiced as a barrister specialising in professional indemnity.
Mahmood was awarded a scholarship to study the bar course and was called to the bar by Gray’s Inn in 2003 She will become only the second woman to hold the post and the first observant Muslim to do so.
The greatest honour of my life to walk into @MoJGovUK as the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice yesterday.
Before politics, I was a lawyer. I understand the deep challenges facing our justice system. But there is so much we can do. The hard work starts now. pic.twitter.com/38HwhZZRi2
— Shabana Mahmood MP (@ShabanaMahmood) July 6, 2024
Congratulating Mahmood on her appointment, president of the Law Society Nick Emmerson said:
“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 demand urgent attention.”
“It’s crucial to acknowledge that transforming the justice system is a long-term project, requiring a collaborative effort, Emmerson continued. “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.”
For his new Attorney General, Starmer has appointed Richard Hermer KC from Matrix Chambers, who will be granted a life peerage in the House of Lords.
The experienced silk was called to the bar in 1993 before reaching the prestigious rank of silk in 2009. He is also a Deputy High Court Judge assigned to the King’s Bench Division and the Administrative Court, and specialises in all areas of private and public international law, as well as domestic public and private law.
