Justices at the Supreme Court have reflected on a successful bilateral event with judges from the US Supreme Court and High Courts, who visited London and Oxford for a series of topical discussions between 23-26th October. The Lord President, Lord Pentland, as well as the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, Baroness Carr and the Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, Dame Siobhan Keegan, also participated in the event.

The Forum on the Rule of Law was held in collaboration with the Association of Marshall Scholars and the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Building on the success of the 2022 Forum on the Rule of Law held at the US Supreme Court, this year’s gathering advanced transatlantic dialogue on the same subject, giving time and space for the two countries’ leading legal minds to explore issues such as legal and constitutional interpretation; judicial independence; emerging technologies; and free speech, privacy and the internet.

Speaking at the close of the event, Deputy President of the Supreme Court, Lord Hodge, said: “It was a pleasure for the UK Supreme Court to host our colleagues and friends from the US Supreme Court and Federal Judiciary, as well as the Association of Marshall Scholars and the American College of Trial Lawyers. 

“Bilateral meetings are a useful way for legal professionals to take time away from their usual schedules to examine pressing legal issues. All of us benefit from being able to discuss ideas and innovations in the legal sphere, and I am grateful to everyone who devoted their time and expertise to attend.”

Guests at the bilateral were hosted in London at the Supreme Court, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Guildhall in the City of London, and in Oxford at All Souls College, Rhodes House, and Magdalen College.