The Right Honourable Lord Patrick Hodge, recently retired Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court, has been appointed Chief Justice of ADGM Courts, the independent judicial system of Abu Dhabi Global Market, effective April 1, 2026. The appointment marks a significant leadership transition for the regional financial hub's courts, following the retirement of Lord David Hope of Craighead after 11 years in the role. Lord Hodge brings four decades of distinguished judicial experience spanning commercial courts, international arbitration, tax law and company law, positioning the courts to advance technological innovation alongside traditional common law principles.
The appointment was announced on March 31, 2026, with strong backing from ADGM leadership. Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADGM, praised Lord Hope's foundational work in establishing the courts as a trusted global institution, while expressing confidence that Lord Hodge's expertise and judicial career would enable ADGM Courts to continue delivering judicial excellence and innovation. In his acceptance statement, Lord Hodge emphasized his commitment to maintaining steadfast legal principle while remaining responsive to innovation in an era of rapid global transformation, signalling intent to build on existing foundations while modernizing dispute resolution services. No executive search firm involvement was publicly disclosed in connection with the appointment.
Lord Hodge, born in 1953, studied history at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and law at the University of Edinburgh before entering the Scottish Office as a civil servant between 1975 and 1978. Admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1983, he became Queen's Counsel in 1996 and specialized in commercial law, judicial review and property law. His career included appointments as part-time Commissioner on the Scottish Law Commission (1997-2003) and judge of the Courts of Appeal of Jersey and Guernsey (2000-2005). In 2005, he was appointed a Senator of the College of Justice in Scotland, serving as Commercial Judge and Exchequer Judge in the Court of Session. He joined the UK Supreme Court in October 2013 as a Justice and was elevated to Deputy President in January 2020, a position he held until his announced retirement at the end of 2025. His published writings have explored private law evolution, financial technology, crypto-assets and technology's role in expanding access to justice.
ADGM, established in 2015 and operational since October 2015, operates as the international financial centre and free economic zone for Abu Dhabi, serving global financial and non-financial institutions within the UAE. Positioned on Al Maryah Island and expanded in 2023 to include Al Reem Island, ADGM is the only jurisdiction in the Middle East to apply English common law directly without codification or translation. The ADGM Courts consist of a Court of First Instance and Court of Appeal staffed by senior international judges, operating through a fully digital platform accessible 24/7 from any location worldwide. The courts have exclusive authority over contracts, property and corporate disputes within ADGM jurisdiction and have earned international recognition for judicial independence and procedural innovation.
Hodge's transition from leading roles in the UK's most senior court to chief justice of a regional but rapidly expanding financial hub suggests ADGM's strategic intent to elevate its judicial credibility among international commercial parties. His expertise in fintech and digital assets directly aligns with ADGM's regulatory framework for virtual assets, launched in 2018 as one of the first globally to license exchanges and token issuers. Notably, ADGM has demonstrated strong recent growth, with a 36 percent surge in assets under management and over 12,000 active licences in 2025. The appointment of a former Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court signals confidence among ADGM leadership that enhanced judicial pedigree will reinforce the institution's competitive position relative to Hong Kong, Singapore and other established common law financial centres. Hodge's previous service as a non-permanent judge of Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal, though ending in resignation over national security concerns in 2022, demonstrates his willingness to operate in Asian financial hubs. His appointment may also reflect broader efforts by ADGM to attract sophisticated international commercial disputes away from traditional centres by pairing technological innovation with judicial credentials drawn from the world's highest courts.
