Swearing in of the new Lord Chancellor

The Right Honourable Shabana Mahmood MP has been officially sworn in as Lord Chancellor.

The Right Honourable Shabana Mahmood MP was appointed as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice on 5 July 2024. She was elected as the MP for Birmingham Ladywood in July 2024.

The Right Honourable Richard Hermer KC and Sarah Sackman MP were also sworn in as the Attorney General and Solicitor General respectively.

Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, conducted the swearing-in ceremony at the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday 15 July.

The Lady Chief Justice said: “My Lord Chancellor, Mr Attorney and Madam Solicitor, on behalf of the judiciary of England and Wales, may I congratulate each of you on your appointments and wish you well in the discharge of your constitutional responsibilities. We look forward to working with you constructively to secure the proper administration of justice and maintain the rule of law.”

The Lady Chief Justice’s speech can be read in full below.