In a historic event at the Royal Courts of Justice, member of parliament Shabana Mahmood took the oath as the United Kingdom’s first female Muslim Lord Chancellor on Monday.
In a social media post following the historic ceremony, Shabana Mahmood said she was “honored to be sworn in as Lord Chancellor, promising to defend our independent judiciary from interference and undue pressure.”
“I will be a champion of the Rule of Law. 900 years into this ancient role, it is more vital than ever before,” she added.
She took her oath in the presence of the Lady Chief Justice, senior judges, the Attorney General, the Solicitor General, and prominent members of the legal profession.
The ceremony represented a momentous occasion in British history, where Shabana took her oath on the Holy Quran. According to protocol, the Lord Chancellor also serves as the Secretary of State for Justice and oversees the administration of courts and legal aid in England and Wales.
“Today marks a ‘triple first’: the first Lord Chancellor to swear on the Quran, the first female Lord Chancellor, and the first time a female Chief Justice has sworn in a Lord Chancellor,” Dame Sue Carr, the country’s first female Chief Justice, said.
In her inaugural address, Shabana acknowledged the historic significance and responsibility of her new role.
“Being the ‘first’ is both a privilege and a burden. Getting this right can open doors for future generations, showing that even the oldest titles of the land are within reach for us all,” she said, adding that she is the first Lord Chancellor who can speak Urdu.