UK Supreme Court to sit in Manchester in March

Three Supreme Court cases will be heard in Manchester in March 2023

The UK Supreme Court, the highest court in the country, will sit in Manchester next year.

It is the first time the court, which is the final court of appeal in the UK, will sit outside of a capital city.

President of the Supreme Court, Lord Reed, said the move was part of a commitment to be "one of the most open and accessible courts in the world".

Three cases will be heard when the court sits at the Manchester Civil Justice Centre in March.

"As the final court of appeal for the United Kingdom, we hear cases of profound importance to everyone across the country," Lord Reed said.

"My colleagues and I strongly believe that the experience of attending a court hearing in person should not be limited to those able to get to London."

'Accessible justice'

The court, which has its permanent home in the English capital, has previously sat in other capital cities, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

North West circuit judge, His Honour Judge Bird, said he was "delighted" to welcome the Supreme Court to Manchester.

"We are proud that the North West has been chosen as the first place outside a UK capital to host a Supreme Court sitting," he said.

He added that "accessible justice matters to everyone" and said he hoped the move would "encourage more people to take an interest in justice both locally and nationally".

Lord Reed will be joined by four other Supreme Court Justices for the hearings which will take place between 6 and 9 March.