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Britain prepares to open Supreme Court

Britain's most senior judges are preparing to leave the House of Lords, moving from Parliament's upper chamber to a dedicated Supreme Court in a major upheaval of Britain's convoluted constitution. The new Supreme Court opens on October 1st when the Law Lords who currently sit as members of the House of Lords and serve as the country's highest court of appeal make a formal procession across London's Parliament Square to their new home.

Once sworn in, the 12 justices won't be allowed to return to the House of Lords until they have retired. Future appointments will not be members of Parliament and will have no link to the House of Lords.

It's the latest major reform to Britain's constitution, and follows the removal of almost all hereditary members of House of Lords and the creation of regional governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The site of the new court was previously the Middlesex Guildhall, which opened as a criminal court in 1915. The building is famed stone facade, studded with Medieval-style gargoyles. Inside it has ornate wooden carvings and will include a specially designed carpet by artist Peter Blake who created the cover art to the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"

The new court will also be the final point of appeal for about 30 British territories overseas and many Commonwealth nations, including Jamaica, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands and Bermuda

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