14 December 2015

The United Kingdom Supreme Court (UKSC) is the final court of appeal for civil cases of the greatest public or constitutional importance for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The 12 Justices hear criminal cases for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and devolution matters for Scotland. As the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, they also hear cases from some Commonwealth countries. Opened in 2009, by HM Queen Elizabeth, UKSC now serves the needs of the lawyers, users and Justices providing three courtrooms, with modern offices and workplaces. It is Great Britain’s international symbol for justice and the rule of law.

Elsie Owusu discussed her role as lead architect for the Supreme Court and the relationship between her team and the future Justices as clients and end-users. The talk described how the former Middlesex Guildhall in Parliament Square, London, was transformed to become the Supreme Court. It examined the close collaboration between her architects’ team at Feilden+Mawson and the many eminent British artists and distinguished makers commissioned to create special designs for this beautiful building.