ɪt wʌz ɐnˈaʊnst ˌɔn twˈɛnti θɹˈiː dʒuːlˈaɪ tˈuː θˈaʊzənd nˈaɪn ðæt hiː wʊd biː ɐpˈɔɪntᵻd ðə nˈɛkst mˈæstɚɹ ʌvðə ɹˈoʊlz, səksˈiːdɪŋ lˈɔːɹd klˈɑːɹk ʌv stˈoʊŋkˈʌmˈɛbəni, hˌuː bɪkˌeɪm wˈʌn ʌvðɪ ɪnˈɔːɡjʊɹɹəl dʒˈʌstɪsᵻz ʌvðə suːpɹˈiːm kˈoːɹt ɔnðə ɹᵻtˈaɪɚmənt ʌv lˈɔːɹd skˈɑːt ʌv fˈɑːskoʊt.
It was announced on 23 July 2009 that he would be appointed the next Master of the Rolls, succeeding Lord Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony, who became one of the inaugural Justices of the Supreme Court on the retirement of Lord Scott of Foscote.