It was with great sadness that the President of the Supreme Court announced the death of Lord Toulson.

Lord Toulson was appointed to the Supreme Court in April 2013 and retired from full-time sitting in September 2016, but continued to serve on the court’s supplementary panel. Aged 70, he died during an operation.

Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court, said justices and staff were ‘shocked’ by the news, and offered their ‘deepest sympathy’ to Lady Toulson and his family.

‘Through his judgments and during hearings,’ Neuberger said he ‘demonstrated a learned, deeply thoughtful and principled approach to resolving legal problems.

‘These qualities ensure that his enormous contribution to the common law will always be remembered as disproportionate to the relatively short time for which he served upon the Supreme Court.’

Lord Neuberger said that Lord Toulson would ‘never know the full extent of the impact that his considerate, thoughtful and encouraging nature had on the court, the wider profession and the society we serve, but it is a legacy that we will all treasure long into the future’.

‘He was a truly valued colleague, a man of honour, modesty and integrity who will be deeply missed by all with whom he worked.’