Lord Richards' delivers his valedictory as he prepares to stand down from the Court

Lord Richards of Camberwell will step down as a Justice of the Supreme Court this month. During his valedictory delivered at the Court in front of an invited audience this morning, Lord Reed paid tribute to his colleague:

"David has been an ideal member of this Court because of his versatility. His ability to speak and write with authority, not only in the areas of the law in which he spent most of his career - company law and corporate insolvency - but also for example in constitutional law, administrative law and the law of contract and tort.

"That all-round ability as a lawyer is what is needed on this Court and David possesses it in spades."

As he prepares to depart, Lord Richards said:

"I've greatly enjoyed the last four years and I'm deeply thankful for the opportunity of serving in this Court."

You can watch the valedictory on the Court's YouTube channel: Lord Richards Valedictory 8 June 2026