Lady Black of Derwent 

Founder Member

Jill Margaret Black, Lady Black of Derwent was a Justice of the Supreme Court from 2 October 2017 to 10 January 2021

Lady Black attended Penrhos College in North Wales before studying at Durham University. The first lawyer in her family, her initial career at the Bar involved a broad range of criminal and civil work, although she later specialised in family law. She was a founding author of the definitive guide to family law practice in England and Wales, and continued to serve as a consulting editor until 2021.

Lady Black was appointed to the High Court in 1999, assigned to the Family Division. She was Family Division Liaison Judge for the Northern Circuit from 2000 to 2004. In 2004 she became the Chairman of the Judicial Studies Board's Family Committee, until her appointment as a Judicial Appointments Commissioner in 2008, where she served until 2013. Lady Black was appointed a Lady Justice of Appeal in 2010. She was Head of International Family Justice from 2013 until her appointment to the Supreme Court in 2017.