Introduction: The Supreme Court’s Place in UK Politics

Abstract

This chapter introduces readers to the UK Supreme Court by describing two cases heard by the court: one case that almost no readers will have heard of, and that involved public access to land; and one case that was hugely controversial and that profoundly affected the process of the UK’s exit from the European Union. After describing the structure and operation of the court, the chapter steps back in time to explore the reasons for the court’s creation, and makes a case for the importance of understanding the court’s political role—and, as a consequence, for modeling the judges’ behaviors in ways that allow for subtle political influences alongside more consequential legal and organizational factors.