Lord Patrick Hodge

Career Overview

Lord Patrick Hodge was appointed Chief Justice of ADGM Courts effective 1 April 2026, following the retirement of Lord David Hope after 11 years. With over four decades of legal and judicial experience, he is responsible for the continued development of ADGM Courts as a globally recognised forum for international commercial dispute resolution. Patrick Stewart Hodge, Lord Hodge, was born 19 May 1953 and is a Scottish retired judge who served as Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

Lord Hodge's career is marked by expertise spanning commercial law, judicial review, and property law. His published writings and lectures have explored the evolution of private law, the limits of judicial law-making, the development of modern contract law, the legal implications of financial technology and crypto-assets, and the role of technology in expanding access to justice.

Education

Lord Hodge was educated at Croftinloan School, a private junior boarding school in Perthshire, and Trinity College, Glenalmond, also in Perthshire. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (BA), and the University of Edinburgh School of Law (LLB).

Career History

• Scottish Office civil servant, 1975-1978
• Faculty of Advocates member, admitted 1983
• Standing Junior Counsel to Department of Energy, 1989-1991; to Inland Revenue, 1991-1996
• Queen's Counsel, appointed 1996
• Part-time Law Commissioner at Scottish Law Commission, 1997-2003
• Judge of Courts of Appeal of Jersey and Guernsey, 2000-2005
• Senator of the College of Justice (Court of Session), 2005-2013; served as Commercial Judge and Scottish Judge in Exchequer Causes
• Justice of the UK Supreme Court, 1 October 2013-December 2025
• Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court, January 2020-December 2025
• Non-Permanent Judge of Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal, 1 January 2021-30 March 2022

Notable Achievements

Lord Hodge was instrumental in modernising judicial procedures, advancing effective case management, and the practice of the Scottish Court of Session's commercial court. He has contributed significantly to key law reform projects as a Commissioner in the Scottish Law Commission, leading major projects on company and partnership law. He sits on the editorial board of the Current Legal Problems journal.

What Lord Hodge could bring to ADGM Courts: His decades of distinguished service at the highest levels of the United Kingdom judiciary, spanning commercial courts, international arbitration, tax and company law, position him to strengthen ADGM Courts' standing as a globally competitive forum for complex international commercial dispute resolution. His demonstrated expertise in modernizing court procedures and emerging technologies—particularly fintech and crypto-assets—aligns with ADGM's mandate for progressive, innovation-enabled justice.