Alexander Philip, Lord Philip
Encyclopedia
The Rt. Hon. Alexander Morrison Philip, Lord Philip (born 3 August 1942) is a Scottish
lawyer
and former Senator of the College of Justice
.
and Isobel Thomson Morrison, Philip was educated at the High School of Glasgow
, where he was a contemporary of Arthur Hamilton
, current Lord President of the Court of Session
. He studied at the University of St Andrews
, graduating MA in 1963, and at the School of Law
at Glasgow
, taking an LLB in 1965. He subsequently practised as a solicitor between 1967 and 1972, before being admitted to the Faculty of Advocates
in 1973. In 1982, he became Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Education Department, and between then and 1985 he served as an Advocate-Depute
, taking silk
in 1984.
and President of the Lands Tribunal for Scotland
. As Chairman of the Land Court, he became a Senator of the College of Justice
, the only Senator who is not a judge of the Court of Session
or High Court
. He remains a member of the Lands Valuation Appeal Court.
In 1996, Philip was appointed a Lord of Session and Lord Commissioner of Justiciary, a judge of the Court of Session and High Court, taking the judicial title, Lord Philip. He served for a time on the Judicial Studies Committee for Scotland, and was elevated to the Inner House in 2005. As is customary with such appointments, he was appointed to the Privy Council, affording him the style, The Right Honourable
.
He retired from the Bench in 2007, but still sits on an occasional basis. He was succeeded in the Inner House by Lord Reed
, whose vacancy in the Outer House was filled by the newly-appointed Lord Woolman
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and former Senator of the College of Justice
Senator of the College of Justice
The Senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of Senator: Lords of Session ; Lords Commissioner of Justiciary ; and the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court...
.
Early life
The son of Alexander Philip, OBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
and Isobel Thomson Morrison, Philip was educated at the High School of Glasgow
High School of Glasgow
The High School of Glasgow is an independent, co-educational day school in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded as the Choir School of Glasgow Cathedral in around 1124, it is the oldest school in Scotland, and the twelfth oldest in the United Kingdom. It remained part of the Church as the city's grammar...
, where he was a contemporary of Arthur Hamilton
Arthur Hamilton, Lord Hamilton
Arthur Campbell Hamilton, Lord Hamilton, PC , is Scotland's most senior judge. He was chosen as Lord Justice General and Lord President of the Court of Session in November 2005, succeeding Lord Cullen.-Early life:...
, current Lord President of the Court of Session
Lord President of the Court of Session
The Lord President of the Court of Session is head of the judiciary in Scotland, and presiding judge of the College of Justice and Court of Session, as well as being Lord Justice General of Scotland and head of the High Court of Justiciary, the offices having been combined in 1836...
. He studied at the University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
, graduating MA in 1963, and at the School of Law
University of Glasgow School of Law
The School of Law at the University of Glasgow provides undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Law, and awards the degrees of Bachelor of Laws , Master of Laws , Master of Science , Master of Research and Doctor of Philosophy , the degree of Doctor of Laws...
at Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, taking an LLB in 1965. He subsequently practised as a solicitor between 1967 and 1972, before being admitted to the Faculty of Advocates
Faculty of Advocates
The Faculty of Advocates is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary...
in 1973. In 1982, he became Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Education Department, and between then and 1985 he served as an Advocate-Depute
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service provides the independent public prosecution service for Scotland, and is a Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government. The department is headed by Her Majesty's Lord Advocate, who under the Scottish legal system is responsible for prosecution,...
, taking silk
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1984.
Judicial career
Between 1988 and 1992, Philip was Chairman of the Medical Appeal Tribunals, and in 1993 became Chairman of the Scottish Land CourtScottish Land Court
The Scottish Land Court is a Scottish court of law based in Edinburgh with subject-matter jurisdiction for disputes between landlords and tenants relating to agricultural tenancies and matters related to crofts and crofters. The Chairman of the Scottish Land Court is ranked as a Senator of the...
and President of the Lands Tribunal for Scotland
Lands Tribunal for Scotland
The Lands Tribunal for Scotland is a civil court with jurisdiction over certain matters relating to land and property in Scotland. The Tribunal was established under the Lands Tribunal Act 1949, which also created the separate Lands Tribunal in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.Although the...
. As Chairman of the Land Court, he became a Senator of the College of Justice
Senator of the College of Justice
The Senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of Senator: Lords of Session ; Lords Commissioner of Justiciary ; and the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court...
, the only Senator who is not a judge of the Court of Session
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....
or High Court
High Court of Justiciary
The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court of Scotland.The High Court is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal. As a court of first instance, the High Court sits mainly in Parliament House, or in the former Sheriff Court building, in Edinburgh, but also sits from time...
. He remains a member of the Lands Valuation Appeal Court.
In 1996, Philip was appointed a Lord of Session and Lord Commissioner of Justiciary, a judge of the Court of Session and High Court, taking the judicial title, Lord Philip. He served for a time on the Judicial Studies Committee for Scotland, and was elevated to the Inner House in 2005. As is customary with such appointments, he was appointed to the Privy Council, affording him the style, The Right Honourable
The Right Honourable
The Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere...
.
He retired from the Bench in 2007, but still sits on an occasional basis. He was succeeded in the Inner House by Lord Reed
Robert Reed, Lord Reed
Robert John Reed, Lord Reed is a Scottish lawyer and has been a Senator of the College of Justice, a judge of the country's supreme courts, since 1998. He sat as the principal judge in the Commercial Court before being promoted to the Inner House of the Court of Session in 2008, and has sat as a...
, whose vacancy in the Outer House was filled by the newly-appointed Lord Woolman
Stephen Woolman, Lord Woolman
Stephen Errol Woolman, Lord Woolman is a Scottish legal academic, and a Senator of the College of Justice, a judge of the country's Supreme Courts.-Early life:...
.