Arrival of UK's top judges is key moment in NI history

The Supreme Court, which was once the court division of the House of Lords, is the ultimate arbiter of British law. It only ever sat in the capital of the UK, London, in much the same way that the United States Supreme Court only ever sits in America’s capital, Washington DC.

This will be only the second time that Britain’s final court of appeal has sat outside London. In recent years there have been parallel developments such as this, including the cabinet sitting outside Downing Street.

It can even seem that such gestures are little more than gimmicks. But in fact they will be needed in the coming years, in which the general public has demanded accountable and transparent governance.

The fact that the most important and distinguished and indeed powerful judges in the land will be sitting in Belfast, to hear cases that will have UK-wide ramifications, is a vivid demonstration of the fact of the United Kingdom.

The UK faces big challenges, the most notable of which internally is the desire for much of the population in Scotland and Northern Ireland to break away. In both places, a simple majority vote for separation will be accepted by London.

Anyone who wants the Union to survive therefore should embrace visible reminders of the fact that we all belong to the same nation state. But even people who have no such loyalty to the UK or are indifferent to the constitutional position will get to see the pinnacle of the legal system operating up close.

Northern Ireland’s Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, Sir Declan Morgan aptly said of this week’s sittings in Belfast that “it is important for people in this jurisdiction to have the opportunity to see the work of the court at first hand, which can only help to enhance public confidence in the administration of justice”.