Lord Hermer: Biography, Beliefs, and Role as Attorney General

Few people expected a human-rights barrister who spent decades challenging the British government to suddenly become its top lawyer. Yet that’s exactly what happened when Richard Hermer, Baron Hermer, was appointed Attorney General for England and Wales in July 2024.

Full name: Richard Simon Hermer · Born: 1968 · Appointed Attorney General: 5 July 2024 · Left office: 20 July 2026

Eight key facts about Lord Hermer, drawn from official records and credible sources:

What is Lord Hermer known for?

What is Lord Hermer’s role as Attorney General?

• Attorney General for England and Wales – the government’s chief legal adviser (UK Government official biography)
• Advocate General for Northern Ireland – responsible for legal matters in Northern Ireland (UK Government)
• Sits in the House of Lords as a life peer (Wikipedia)

The role is one of the most powerful legal positions in the UK, overseeing prosecutions and advising on constitutional law. For Hermer, it represented a dramatic move from outsider advocate to insider decision-maker.

How long did Lord Hermer serve as Attorney General?

• Appointed: 5 July 2024 (UK Government)
• Resigned: 20 July 2026 (UK Government)
• Total tenure: 2 years and 15 days

The implication: a relatively short term by historical standards, cut short by the resignation that followed the 2026 general election.

What was Lord Hermer’s legal career background?

• Called to the Bar in 1993 (UK Government)
• Appointed Queen’s Counsel (KC) in 2009 (UK Government)
• Head of Chambers at Matrix Chambers before entering government (UK Government)
• Specialised in human rights and public law (Law Gazette legal trade publication)
• Worked on claims related to Iraq conflict and Guantanamo Bay (Law Gazette)

The pattern: a career built on challenging state power, not wielding it – which made his appointment all the more striking.

What were Lord Hermer’s beliefs?

What is Lord Hermer’s religion?

Lord Hermer’s religious affiliation is not publicly confirmed. He was one of a group of leading Jewish lawyers who signed an open letter in the Financial Times calling for Israel to be guided by international law after the Hamas attack (Law Gazette). However, no formal statement about his faith exists.

His political allegiances are clearer: he donated £5,000 to Keir Starmer’s Labour leadership campaign in 2020 (The Telegraph UK broadsheet), and he has been described as a long-time friend of Starmer (The Guardian UK news outlet).

What this means: on matters of personal belief, the public record is thin. The most contested area – his approach to national security and human rights – remains the central focus of debate.

Is Lord Hermer part of the Fabian Society?

Is Sadiq Khan a Fabian?

There is no definitive public record confirming Lord Hermer’s membership in the Fabian Society. The Fabian Society is a socialist intellectual organisation that has influenced Labour Party policy. By contrast, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been a member (Fabian Society official site), but Hermer’s name does not appear in membership lists or event records.

The trade-off: without a direct statement from Hermer or the Society, the question remains unresolved. Some journalists have speculated about his affiliation based on his progressive legal work, but speculation is not evidence.

Who appointed Lord Hermer?

Lord Hermer was appointed Attorney General by King Charles III on the advice of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The official announcement came on 5 July 2024 (UK Government official announcement). Because Hermer was not already a member of the House of Lords, a life peerage was created for him – the writ of summons was issued on 18 July 2024 (Wikipedia), and he took his seat in the Lords to fulfil the constitutional requirement.

The Guardian described the appointment as “surprising” because Hermer was not a mainstream political figure (The Guardian).

The catch: Starmer bypassed the usual route of appointing a sitting MP or peer, choosing instead a personal friend and fellow human-rights lawyer – a decision that drew immediate questions about political independence.

What nationality is Lord Hermer?

• British (UK Government)
• Welsh-born: raised in Cardiff (Law Gazette)
• Life peer: UK House of Lords (Wikipedia)

The facts are straightforward. The controversy around him never concerned his nationality – it centred on his actions as the state’s chief lawyer.

Timeline of Lord Hermer’s career

• 1993 – Called to the Bar (UK Government)
• 2009 – Appointed Queen’s Counsel (UK Government)
• July 2024 – Created life peer; appointed Attorney General for England and Wales and Advocate General for Northern Ireland (UK Government; Wikipedia)
• 20 July 2026 – Resigned as Attorney General (UK Government)

Clarity: what’s confirmed, what’s still unclear

Confirmed facts

• Hermer was Attorney General from 5 July 2024 to 20 July 2026 (UK Government)
• He is a British barrister and life peer (UK Government; Wikipedia)
• He was called to the Bar in 1993 and became King’s Counsel in 2009 (UK Government)
• He specialised in human rights cases that challenged the government (Law Gazette)
• He donated £5,000 to Keir Starmer’s Labour leadership campaign (The Telegraph)

What’s unclear

• Lord Hermer’s religious beliefs – not publicly confirmed; some speculation about Jewish faith but no direct statement
• Whether he is a member of the Fabian Society – no public record found
• His precise net worth – not disclosed
• Details about his wife and parents – limited information in public domain
• His exact position on specific government policies during his tenure – internal legal advice remains confidential

Perspectives on Lord Hermer

“Hermer a good lawyer, spent his working life fighting against the British government and supporting terrorists.”

– The Spectator, critical assessment of his tenure

“Richard Hermer KC is Attorney General. KC appointed as Attorney General Domestic homicide …”

– Matrix Law Chambers biography

These two voices capture the divide: one sees a principled human-rights advocate, the other sees a former government opponent now in charge of state power.

Summary: what Lord Hermer’s story means

Lord Hermer’s rapid rise from barrister to Attorney General shows how personal connections and a record of human-rights work can override the usual political path. But it also illustrates the tension at the heart of the role: the person who once sued the state must now defend it. For the UK’s legal system, the lesson is clear: a top law officer’s previous cases will be scrutinised, and the trade-off between independence and loyalty is never settled.

Frequently asked questions