David Lammy has been sworn in as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, becoming the first black person to hold the role.
The deputy prime minister, who was previously foreign secretary, replaced Shabana Mahmood as justice secretary, and was sworn in before the top judges in England and Wales, including Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr.
The new Solicitor General Ellie Reeves was also sworn in at the ceremony at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
Addressing Lammy in a speech on Wednesday, Baroness Carr said: “Your swearing-in marks the first appointment, not before time, of a black lord chancellor and secretary of state for justice.”
She added that she looked forward to working with him, and building a strong relationship.
In his speech, Lammy said he was “incredibly proud to be the first lord chancellor of African and Caribbean heritage”.
“I stand here humbled, I stand here honoured. And believe me when I say, I stand here feeling the full weight of this ancient office,” he said.
Lammy said as a child he could never have imagined being in the position he held today, but that in many ways “it feels like coming home”.
The Attorney General Richard Hermer KC said it was his “pleasure” to welcome “his truly dear friend” as Lord Chancellor, saying that as the first black person to hold the post, he would “inspire countless young people”.
He said that in a “wonderfully diverse multicultural society”, anyone could reach the top, irrespective of the colour of their skin, what god they believed in, or their financial background.
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