Facts

Lady Hale retired as President of the Supreme Court on 10 January 2020 because she was to turn 75 on 31 January 2020, and 75 is the mandatory retirement age for judges. 

Verdict

Boris Johnson’s claim that he “saw off” Brenda Hale is false. According to the Ministerial Code,  “It is of paramount importance that Ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity.  Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister.” 

Boris Johnson was misleading Parliament. He has not corrected his false statement, despite being given an opportunity to do so, meaning that his remark is in breach of the Ministerial Code.

We emailed Boris Johnson's office offering him the chance to respond. The email was received, but no reply.