Common Questions

When was the UK supreme court established?: On 1 October 2009 under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, replacing the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords.
Difference between divisional court and supreme court?: The Divisional Court is a High Court configuration sitting below the Court of Appeal, which sits below the Supreme Court. Most judicial reviews end at the Divisional Court; only cases on points of general public importance reach the Supreme Court.
When was the UK Supreme Court established?: The UK Supreme Court was established on 1 October 2009, replacing the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords as the final court of appeal.Source: UK Supreme Court
What is the difference between the UK Divisional Court and the Supreme Court?: The Divisional Court is a first-tier appellate body within the High Court handling judicial review and criminal appeals. The Supreme Court is the UK's final court of appeal, hearing only cases of general public importance.Source: UK Supreme Court
What role did the Supreme Court play in the Pakdasht execution case?: The UK Supreme Court has no role in Iranian executions. In the 2026 Iran case, the Iranian Supreme Court upheld three death sentences for the Pakdasht mosque fire defendants, triggering fears of imminent execution.Source: Hengaw
How does the UK Supreme Court decide which cases to hear?: The UK Supreme Court only hears cases that raise an arguable point of law of general public importance, typically involving constitutional questions or novel legal issues. Most applications for permission are refused.Source: UK Supreme Court

Background

The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the final court of appeal for all UK civil cases and for criminal cases from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It was established on 1 October 2009 under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, taking over the judicial functions previously exercised by the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords (the Law Lords). It sits in the former Middlesex Guildhall on Parliament Square, opposite the Houses of Parliament.

The Supreme Court sits above the Court of Appeal in the judicial hierarchy. The Divisional Court (a High Court configuration for judicial review) sits below the Court of Appeal, meaning most judicial-review cases end at the Divisional Court or Court of Appeal, with only those on points of general public importance reaching the Supreme Court. Reform UK's February 2026 challenge to the election postponement was scheduled for Divisional Court hearing; had the government not withdrawn the policy, any adverse ruling could eventually have reached the Supreme Court on appeal.

How the World Sees Them

Devolved governments

Watch Supreme Court rulings closely for implications on the constitutional boundaries between Westminster and the Senedd, Holyrood, and Stormont.

Constitutional lawyers

The Supreme Court's creation in 2009 was intended to make the separation of powers visible, ending the anomaly of final-instance judges sitting in the legislature.