London: Indian-origin Suella Braverman, appointed the UK's new Attorney General in British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's reshuffled Cabinet earlier this month, was on Monday formally sworn in for the post at a ceremony at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
The 39-year-old minister, a barrister and Cambridge University law graduate who specialised in public law and judicial review, said her priority will be to restore confidence in the justice system.
"It is a privilege to be sworn in as attorney general and a moment I will cherish as the second woman to be appointed to this historic role, said Braverman after the ceremony.
"Restoring confidence in the criminal justice system is my top priority. I want to thank my predecessor for his work in this area and his distinguished service to government, she said, in reference to the previous Attorney General Geoffrey Cox.
Robert Buckland, the Lord Chancellor and UK Secretary of State for Justice, welcomed the new incumbent to the vital and historic role as the chief legal adviser for the government.
The relationship between the law officers and the lord chancellor is a crucial one. I look forward to working closely with the attorney on matters relating to the rule of law, which is the cornerstone of our democracy and a major factor in our success as a civilised and prosperous nation, said Buckland.
Braverman's role will involve overseeing the work of the law officers' departments, which include the independent prosecuting authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Serious Fraud Office.
Braverman, MP for Fareham in south-east England since 2015, has been a vocal supporter of Brexit and previously served as a minister in the erstwhile Department for Exiting the European Union. As a former member of the Attorney General's panel of treasury counsel, she has defended the UK Home Office in immigration cases in the past.
Braverman, whose maiden name is Suella Fernandes, was born in London to migrant parents from Kenya and Mauritius with roots in Goa and South India. She studied law at Queen's College, University of Cambridge, and went on to complete a Master's in law from the University of Paris. She is the first female Attorney General to be appointed by a Conservative Party government.
