All rise: new Supreme Court opens for business

Judges will be sworn in Thursday at Britain's new Supreme Court, in a shake-up removing an ancient constitutional quirk and aimed at ushering in a fresh era of openness.

The highest court in the land will now be located in a gothic courthouse just over the road from London's House of Lords, where its judges used to sit in their berobed finery.

But thanks to a major refit, its atmosphere will be miles away from the fustiness of the Lords' red leather benches, often occupied by dozing peers.

Its courtrooms are light, spacious and have plenty of access for curious members of the public, plus carpets designed by pop artist Peter Blake, who was behind the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover.

Television cameras will also be allowed in -- a big step for the English courts which have, until now, operated strictly behind closed doors.

Many say the new Supreme Court could be a breath of fresh air for Britain's often arcane legal system.

"It's largely symbolic but I think on the other hand, you would say: 'How on earth can you have a country where a supreme court is a division of the legislature?'" said Roger Smith, director of Justice, a group which campaigns to improve the legal system.

The Supreme Court is the final court of appeal for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Although most of its functions cover those three, it will also hear civil appeals from Scotland, which has a separate legal system.

Since 1876, the Supreme Court's role has been performed by the Law Lords, a House of Lords committee made up of top judges.

Before then, it was the job of ordinary peers who contemporary commentators said were often unfamiliar with the law -- and keener on drinking at gentlemen's clubs than hearing complex cases.

Although the Law Lords' independence was not in question, in recent years ministers and many top lawyers came to believe that separating the judiciary, parliament and the executive was important for the sake of clarity.

The move was introduced by the Labour government which, under ex-premier Tony Blair, also brought in other reforms of Britain's unwritten constitution such as cutting the number of hereditary peers in the House of Lords and establishing devolved administrations in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

The first 12 Supreme Court justices will be the current Law Lords, who will simply cross the road from the House of Lords and continue their jobs largely as before, hearing their first cases from October 5.

But in future, justices will be appointed by a selection committee and will not be members of the House of Lords.

The system differs from the United States, where new Supreme Court judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by senators.

Although the changes are not cheap, with a pricetag of 56 million pounds, commentators say they could help the public-- who often view judges in wigs and robes as distant and out of touch -- understand more of how the system works.

"Over time, the court will find itself explaining its functions and its thinking in more public ways than it has done in the past," Martin Kettle wrote in the Guardian in July.

"Little by little, the judges... will become more familiar figures in the public arena. This can only be good for public life."

Roger Smith of Justice added it could even lead to increased pressure for Britain, with its unwritten constitution, to codify some basic rights.

"I think symbolically people will understand a bit more the role judges play in safeguarding values and in terms that will lead, I think, to a discussion on whether we need a bill of rights."