Senior President of Tribunals – Annual Report 2012
This is my third and last report as statutory Senior President of Tribunals and therefore an appropriate point to reflect on my tenure. In April I shall take up my appointment as a member of the Supreme Court. I have been closely associated with the tribunals world since August 2004, when I was nominated as “Shadow” Senior President. During that time I have developed a deep respect for the work of the tribunals, and those who serve in it, as judges or administrators. Leggatt’s defining theme, that tribunals are a central part of the justice system, is no longer controversial. The essential features of the relationship of the Upper Tribunal with the higher courts have been authoritatively declared at the highest level.1 The integration of the administration of courts and tribunals, which took effect last April, is another important milestone in the process.