Editing Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (section)

==Qualifications and functions==

===Qualifications of candidates for appointment===
To be appointed a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary under the 1876 Act, a person was required to have been a practising [[barrister]] for a period of fifteen years or to have held a high judicial office—as [[Lord Chancellor]] (before 2005) or judge of the [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales|Court of Appeal]], [[High Court of Justice of England and Wales|High Court]] or [[Court of Session]]—for a period of two years. Lords of Appeal in Ordinary were required to retire from judicial office at 70 or 75 years of age, though as [[baron]]s they continued to serve as members of the House of Lords in its legislative capacity for life.

===Letters patent appointing Lords of Appeal in Ordinary ===
While [[Letters patent (United Kingdom)|letters patent]] issued by the Monarch under the terms of the [[Life Peerages Act 1958]] just name the recipient of the life peerage, letters patent issued under the terms of the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 also name the retired Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in whose stead the recipient is appointed. In the final form used in 2009, these read: 
<blockquote>[[List of titles and honours of Elizabeth II|Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Our other Realms and Territories Queen Head of the Commonwealth Defender of the Faith]] / To whom these Presents shall come Greeting / Whereas Our [''name of retired Lord of Appeal in Ordinary''] has resigned his Office of a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary and the same is now vacant Now Know Ye that We of Our especial grace have in pursuance of the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 as amended by subsequent enactments nominated and appointed and by these Presents Do nominate and appoint Our [''name of the new appointee''] to be a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary by the style of [''[[Peerages in the United Kingdom#Form of title|full peerage title]] of the new appointee''] to hold the said Office so long as he shall well behave himself therein subject to the provisions in the said Act mentioned with all wages profits privileges rank and precedence whatsoever to the said Office belonging or in anywise appertaining and to hold the said style of Baron unto him the said [''name of the new appointee''] during his life / In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent / Witness Ourself at Westminster the [''day''] day of [''month''] in the [''year''] Year of Our Reign.<ref>[https://blog.benl.co.uk/2020/09/patents-writs-and-lords-who-might-not.html Wording of letters patent appointing a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876]. Retrieved 17 February 2022.</ref> </blockquote>

===Retirement age of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary ===
The statutory retirement age for Lords of Appeal in Ordinary depended on when they were first appointed to judicial office: for those who first became a judge before 31 March 1995, the retirement age is 75 years of age; for those appointed on or after that date, retirement was at 70 years of age (though they were permitted to continue sitting in a part-time capacity as a "Lord of Appeal" until the age of 75 years).<ref>{{Cite legislation UK|type=act|year=1993|chapter=8|act=Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993|section=}}</ref> There have been recent suggestions that the retirement age for the United Kingdom's most senior judges should revert to 75 years of age.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/columnists/article5969902.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612124136/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/columnists/article5969902.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 June 2011|title=Seventy is far too early for a supreme court judge to retire...|last=Pannick|first=David|date=26 March 2009|work=The Times}}</ref>

=== Number of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary ===
The Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 originally provided for the appointment of two Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, who would continue to serve while holding judicial office, though in 1887, they were permitted to continue to sit in the House of Lords for life, with the style and dignity of [[baron]]. The number of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary was increased incrementally over the years—to three in 1882, to four in 1891, to six in 1913, to seven in 1929, to nine in 1947, to eleven in 1968 and to twelve in 1994. The [[Administration of Justice Act 1968]] allowed the Sovereign to make a [[statutory instrument (UK)|statutory instrument]], if each House of Parliament passed a resolution approving a draft of the same, increasing the maximum number of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary.

=== Remuneration ===
Of all members of the House of Lords, only Lords of Appeal in Ordinary ever received state salaries by virtue of their position (other Lords have only ever received a daily allowance for attending sittings, plus expenses of attendance). In 2004, the salary for the Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary was £185,705, and for other Lords of Appeal in Ordinary it was £179,431.