The former head of Devereux Chambers, Dame Ingrid Simler, has been appointed as a judge at the Supreme Court to replace Lord Kitchin who is retiring
Simler practised at the Bar at Devereux Chambers, where she was head of chambers before becoming a judge in 2013.
When she was at Devereux, Cambridge educated Simler was junior counsel to the Inland Revenue (now HMRC) from 2002 until she took silk in 2006, and also sat on the attorney general’s Civil Panel A. She has been a Court of Appeal judge for more than four years.
Throughout her career, Simler has been a strong supporter of the importance of equality and the drive to create more diversity in the legal profession and among judges. When she was in practice, she was chair of the Bar Council’s equality and diversity committee.
In a statement on the appointment, Devereux said: ‘She has been a wonderful role model in everything she has done both in her professional and judicial careers.’
President of the Supreme Court, Lord Reed of Allermuir said: ‘I am delighted to welcome Lady Justice Simler as a Justice to the Supreme Court.
‘She will bring exceptional experience and ability to the Court following a distinguished career as a barrister and Judge. Her experience in employment law, tax, public law and criminal law will be highly valuable to the Supreme Court and will further strengthen us as a world-leading Court.’
She will take up her appointment on 14 November.
His Majesty the King made the appointment on the advice of the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor, following the recommendations of an independent selection commission.