The lord chief justice described his time in office as 'exhausting, exhilarating but never dull' in his valedictory speech at the Royal Courts of Justice yesterday afternoon.
Lord Burnett of Maldon is to retire as lord chief justice on 30 September after six years in office. Dame Sue Carr is to take over on 1 October.
The farewell event, held in a packed Court Four, featured speeches from the master of the rolls, Sir Geoffrey Vos, attorney general Victoria Prentis, vice chair of the Bar Sam Townend KC, and Law Society president Lubna Shuja before Burnett finished with the shortest speech of the ceremony.
Burnett said: ‘Thank you for your kind words, your over-generous words which paint a picture I do not quite recognise or frankly deserve but I do reflect nobody here is under oath.’
He said the role had been ‘at times exhausting but was at times exhilarating…and never dull’ adding that 90% of the role was enjoyable and though the percentage had lowered during the pandemic, it had always been high.
Speaking directly to his wife, who attended remotely, Burnett said: ‘Caroline is on CVP, you have supported me indeed put up with me as a junior, a silk, a judge and as lord chief justice. Our children they have had a father perhaps overfocused on work for too many years but be aware I should have more time on my hands now and will be on your case.’
Acknowledging the importance of judicial assistants, Burnett said he would be ‘lost’ without them, adding: ‘I said they must not be afraid to say I am wrong and argue their point of view, they have taken me at my word.’
‘Finally, thank you to my judicial colleagues in every part of the judiciary, lay and professional, for your support, help and kindness during my years in office. I wish you well in the future.’ Ending his speech, Burnett said: ‘But it is au revoir, not goodbye.’
The exiting lord chief justice looked emotional as he accepted the standing ovation of those in the court.
Introducing Burnett and starting the speeches, the master of the rolls paid tribute to Burnett’s ‘hard work and humanity’. He said Burnett had provided ‘much needed stability and continuity in times of change’.
Eliciting a laugh from the audience, Vos said: ‘He is in the class of judges that looks quizzically at his computer, often complaining that it would not allow him to do the things he wants.’ He added: ‘I must mention an exemplary relationship with his staff. He is admired, respected, perhaps loved would be a better word.’
Law Society president Lubna Shuja likened the lord chief justice to a ‘strong captain steering us through storms and high winds’.
She said: ‘I thank the lord chief justice for running a tight ship with integrity and good grace. With you at the helm the…constitutional duties that lie at the heart of our democracy…have been safeguarded. When it comes to defending the justice system, the lord chief justice has never been afraid to take a shot across the bows.’
Highlighting Burnett’s work for diversity, Shuja said that Burnett ‘handing over’ the role to ‘our first female lord chief justice’ was a ‘great step forward for diversity in the senior judiciary’.
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