Controversy as Truss becomes Lord Chancellor

The new Lord Chancellor Liz Truss, the first woman ever to hold the role, at the Judge's entrance to the Royal Courts of Justice, in central London before being installed. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Mrs Truss was made Justice Secretary and given the role of Lord Chancellor when new Prime Minister Theresa May announced her government last week.

But the appointment has prompted criticism about her suitability for the role given her lack of legal background.

It emerged that Lord Faulks, a minister in the Ministry of Justice under David Cameron, had resigned over Mrs Truss being given the job.

He told The Times: “Is she going to have the clout to be able to stand up to the Prime Minister when necessary, on behalf of the judge?

“Is she going to be able to stand up, come the moment, t the Prime Minister, for the rule of law and for the judiciary...without fear of damaging her career? It’s a big ask.”

Former business minister Anna Soubry apparently refused Mrs May’s offer to be minister of state in the Ministry of Justice, effectively second-in-command, on the grounds that she had 15 years experience as a criminal barrister.

Former Labour lord chancellor Lord Falconer also weighed into the debate.

“The most amenable lord chancellor that a prime minister could find would be one who looks to her for promotion: an ambitious, middle-ranking cabinet minister whose main ambition is to go further up the greasy pole, with no known signs of independence.

“Liz Truss appears to fit the bill perfectly,” he said.

However, supporters of Mrs Truss, who was raised in Leeds, claim much of the criticism is motivated by her gender rather than her ability.

She is the third non-lawyer to hold the post following Chris Grayling and Michael Gove.

Former Law Society president Dame Fiona Woolf has backed the appointment, saying it marked the “shattering of the glass ceiling” in the legal profession.