North's new Lord Chief Justice puts down marker for politicians

The North’s new Lord Chief Justice put down a marker for the province’s politicians today that he would brook no interference with the independence of the judiciary when responsibility for policing and justice were devolved to Stormont ministers.

High Court judge Declan Morgan was sworn in as Lord Chief Justice at a ceremony in the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast.

The 57-year-old married father of three succeeds Brian Kerr who has moved on after five years in the post to become a Law Lord – Brian Kerr. He is the last ever to be appointed as the Law Lords will become Justices of the new Supreme Court in October.

Morgan paid tribute to his predecessor and said he was delighted to follow him and would work tirelessly to ensure the effective administration of justice in the North.

He said: “The structures under which that may be delivered will change should there be devolution of policing and justice. I look forward to meeting that challenge when it comes.”

He added: “Clearly, and constitutionally, the judiciary must remain in a position to make decisions which are impartial and independent of political influence, but I will be ready to engage with publicly elected representatives about matters of mutual interest.”

Declan Morgan was educated at Peterhouse, Cambridge, called to the Bar in 1976 and took silk in 1993.

He was Senior Crown Council for the North from 2002 until his appointment as a High Court judge in 2004.

He was appointed to the Family Division in January 2007 and in September 2008 became one of two judges with responsibility for judicial review.

Morgan was appointed chairman of the Law Reform Advisory Committee for the North in 2004.

In April 2007 he was appointed chairman of the Northern Ireland Law Commission, a position he will be stepping down from at the end of the summer.