Judges service marks start of the 2020 legal year

The service was conducted by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, who said in his Bidding:

At the beginning of the legal year, we gather in the presence of almighty God, who is the judge of all and who knows the secrets of our hearts, to renew our commitment to the service of the Crown and to all manner of people that we may, together, do right.

We acknowledge a shared high calling, a common commitment to a justice that all can recognize, done without fear or favour, affection or ill will. So, we seek God’s strength and guidance that we might remain true to our calling, informed, wise, and just.

We pray for the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, The Right Honourable Robert Buckland, for The Right Honourable The Lord Burnett, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales; and for all who make and administer the law, both in the United Kingdom and in the other legal jurisdictions represented here today.

In this holy place we ask God to sustain us in our life and work, to grant us humility and sound judgment, to forgive our errors, and to inspire our service. Through us and in us, may the words of the prophet find fulfilment and justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.