Famous Barristers

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, (née Roberts; 13 October 1925 – 8 April 2013) became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. She led the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. Thatcher served as the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century. She was the first woman to hold that office. A Soviet journalist called her "The 'Iron Lady'" because of her uncompromising politics and leadership style. As Prime Minister, she put in place policies called Thatcherism. She studied chemistry at Somerville Colleg.

Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, born May 6, 1953, served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader of the Opposition from 1994 to 1997. As of 2019, Blair remains the last British Labour Party leader to win a general election. From 1983 to 2007, Blair was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sedgefield. He became Labour Party leader in July 1994, after John Smith died. Under Blair's leadership, the party used the phrase "New Labour" to separate itself from [missing text].

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (Hindi: [ˈdʒəʋaːɦərˈlaːl ˈneːɦru] (listen); November 14, 1889 – May 27, 1964) was an Indian independence activist. He became the first Prime Minister of India and a central figure in Indian politics before and after independence. He became an eminent leader of the Indian independence movement under Mahatma Gandhi. Nehru served India as Prime Minister from its start as an independent nation in 1947 until his death in 1964. The Amar Chitra Katha described him as the architect of India. He was also known as Pandit Nehru because of his.

Edward George Sherrin (February 18, 1931 – October 1, 2007) was an English broadcaster, author, and stage director. He became a barrister and then worked in independent television before joining the BBC. He appeared in various radio and television satirical shows and theatre shows, some of which he directed.

Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave (January 23, 1916 – March 30, 1979) was a British soldier, lawyer, and Member of Parliament. During World War II, he escaped from Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle, becoming the first British prisoner-of-war to do so, and later worked for MI9. After the war, he served with the International Military Tribunal at the Nuremberg Trials. He later became a Tory Member of Parliament for Abingdon. The Irish National Liberation Army claimed responsibility for his assassination in 1979 via a car bomb attack at the House of Commons.

Michael Donald Kirby, born March 18, 1939, is an Australian jurist and academic. He served as a Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1996 to 2009. He stays active in retirement. In May 2013, the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed him to lead an inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea, which reported in February 2014.

Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (Sinhala: සොලමන් වෙස්ට් රිජ්වේ ඩයස් බණ්ඩාරනායක,Tamil: சாலமன் வெஸ்ட் ரிட்ஜ்வே டயஸ் பண்டாரநாயக்கா; January 8, 1899 – September 26, 1959), known as S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, served as Ceylon's fourth Prime Minister. He founded the Left wing and Sinhalese nationalist Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Bandaranaike became Prime Minister of Ceylon in 1956. He enacted left wing reforms, including nationalizing bus services and passing laws against caste discrimination. Bandaranaike is also remembered for remo

Mary Patricia McAleese (née Leneghan; Irish: Máire Pádraigín Mhic Ghiolla Íosa; born June 27, 1951) is an Irish politician. She served as the eighth President of Ireland from November 1997 to November 2011. She was the second female president of Ireland. McAleese won election in 1997, succeeding Mary Robinson. This made her the first woman to succeed another woman as president. She was reelected for a second term in 2004. She ran as an independent both times, though she was formerly a member of Fianna Fáil. McAleese is the first president o

Edward Gough Whitlam (July 11, 1916 – October 21, 2014) was the 21st Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1972 to 1975. He led the Labor Party from 1967 to 1977. Whitlam brought his party to power for the first time in 23 years at the 1972 election. He won the 1974 election before the Governor-General of Australia, Sir John Kerr, controversially dismissed him in 1975 during the Australian constitutional crisis. Whitlam remains the only Australian prime minister dismissed in that way. Whitlam served as an air navigator in the Royal Australian Air F

Sir Adrian Bruce Fulford, born January 8, 1953, styled The Rt Hon. Lord Justice Fulford, is a Lord Justice of Appeal. As of March 3, 2017, he holds the position of Investigatory Powers Commissioner. Previously, he judged at the International Criminal Court in The Hague from 2003–12. He served as the Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales from January 2016 to March 2017. Fulford was also a former member of the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL).

Peter Denis Sutherland (April 25, 1946 – January 7, 2018) was an Irish businessman, barrister, and politician. He served as the UN Special Representative for International Migration from 2006 to 2017. Sutherland chaired Goldman Sachs from 1995 to 2015. He directed the World Trade Organization from 1993 to 1995. He became European Commissioner for Competition from 1985 to 1989. He also served as Attorney General of Ireland from 1981 to 1982 and again from 1982 to 1994. He practiced as a barrister and held the rank of Senior Counsel of the Bar Council of Ireland. He worked with many international organizations and political bodies.

John Whitaker Straw, born August 3, 1946, became a British politician. He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Blackburn from 1979 to 2015. Straw joined the Cabinet from 1997 to 2010 under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He held two Great Offices of State. He was Home Secretary from 1997 to 2001 and Foreign Secretary from 2001 to 2006 under Blair. From 2007 to 2010, he served as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain and Secretary of State for Justice during Brown's Premiership. Straw is one of only three people who served in Cabinet continuously.

Conrad Gerard Smith, born October 12, 1981, is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays mostly at centre. Smith captained the Hurricanes in Super Rugby. He played for New Zealand from 2004 until 2015. He was a key member of New Zealand's 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup winning teams. After the 2015 World Cup, he stopped international rugby and signed a professional rugby contract in France.

Clarissa Theresa Philomena Aileen Mary Josephine Agnes Elsie Trilby Louise Esmerelda Dickson Wright (June 24, 1947 – March 15, 2014) was an English celebrity chef, television personality, writer, businesswoman, and former barrister. Jennifer Paterson was with her on the television cooking show as one of the Two Fat Ladies. She served as an accredited cricket umpire. She was one of only two women to become a Guild Butcher.

Sri Lankabhimanya Christopher Gregory Weeramantry, AM, is a Sri Lankan lawyer. He served as a Judge of the International Court of Justice from 1991 to 2000, and Vice-President from 1997 to 2000. Weeramantry judged the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka from 1967 to 1972. He is now an Emeritus Professor at Monash University.

John Mortimer, a world-class British writer and lawyer, gave the world some of the best 20th-century television series and films. Mortimer went to Oxford. After being told he was unfit for World War II, he started working for the Crown Film Unit, mostly on propaganda films. He soon worked in radio. At 25, he was called to the bar. He worked on many legal cases. He notably defended the publishers of "Lady Chatterley's Lover" against obscenity charges and later the publishers of "Last Exit to Brooklyn." He worked in the courts for 30 years.

Sir Alan Patrick Herbert CH (September 24, 1890 – November 11, 1971) was an English humorist, novelist, playwright, and law reform activist. A. P. Herbert, or A. P. H., served as an Independent Member of Parliament (MP) for Oxford University from the 1935 general election until the 1950 general election when university constituencies ended. Herbert was born in Ashtead, Surrey. He attended Winchester College and New College, Oxford, earning a first in Jurisprudence in 1914. He joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as an ordinary seaman after World War I began.

Mary Therese Winifred Robinson (Irish: Máire Bean Mhic Róibín; née Bourke; born May 21, 1944) is an Irish Independent politician. She became the seventh President of Ireland, the first woman to hold that office. Robinson also served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 to 2002 and as a Senator for the University of Dublin from 1969 to 1989. Robinson gained prominence as an academic, barrister, and campaigner. She defeated Fianna Fáil's Brian Lenihan and Fine Gael's Austin Currie in the 1990 presidential election, becoming the first Independent candidate nominated.

Judah Philip Benjamin, QC (August 11, 1811 – May 6, 1884) was a lawyer and politician. He served as a United States Senator from Louisiana and held a Cabinet position in the Confederate States. After escaping to the United Kingdom at the end of the American Civil War, Benjamin became an English barrister. Benjamin was the first Jew elected to the United States Senate who did not renounce his faith. He was also the first Jew to hold a Cabinet position in North America. Benjamin held the roles of Attorney General, Secretary of War, and Secretary of State of the Confederate States of America. Benjamin was born to Sephar.

Clive Stuart Anderson, born December 10, 1952, in Stanmore, Middlesex, is an English television and radio presenter, comedy writer, and former barrister. Anderson won a British Comedy Award in 1991. Anderson started testing comedy and writing scripts during his 15-year legal career. He then starred in Whose Line Is It Anyway? on BBC Radio 4, followed by Channel 4. Anderson hosted several radio shows and appeared as a guest on Have I Got News for You, Mock the Week, and QI.

Henry Fielding (April 22, 1707 – October 8, 1754) was an English novelist and dramatist. He earned fame for his rich, earthy humor and satirical skill. Fielding wrote the picaresque novel Tom Jones. Fielding also played a major role in law enforcement history. He used his magistrate authority, with his half-brother John, to establish what some call London's first police force, the Bow Street Runners. His younger sister, Sarah, became a successful writer.

Alexander "Alex" Williams, born October 18, 1967, in London, is an English film animator and cartoonist. His father is animator Richard Williams. He worked on many animated films. He wrote the Queens Counsel cartoon strip for The Times. The Cartoon Art Trust Award for Strip Cartooning came to him in October 2017.

Nicholas Glyn Paul Gumbel, born 1955, is Nicky Gumbel. He is an English Anglican priest and author in evangelical and charismatic traditions. He developed the Alpha Course, a basic Christianity introduction supported by many Christian churches. Since 2005, he has been Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton in the Diocese of London, Church of England.

Daniel O'Connell (Irish: Dónall Ó Conaill; August 6, 1775 – May 15, 1847) was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century. He became The Liberator or The Emancipator. He campaigned for Catholic emancipation—the right for Catholics to sit in the Westminster Parliament, which was denied for over 100 years—and the repeal of the Acts of Union that merged Great Britain and Ireland. Throughout his Irish politics career, O'Connell gained a large following among the Irish masses who supported him and his Catholic Association. O'Connell's main strategy was one

Richard Edward Geoffrey Howe, Baron Howe of Aberavon (December 20, 1926 – October 9, 2015), was a British Conservative politician. From 1970 to 1992, he was known as Sir Geoffrey Howe. Howe served as Margaret Thatcher's longest-serving Cabinet minister, holding the roles of Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary, and finally Leader of the House of Commons, Deputy Prime Minister, and Lord President of the Council. His resignation on November 1, 1990, the British press widely believes, caused Thatcher's resignation three weeks later.

Sir William Blackstone (July 10, 1723 – February 14, 1780) was an English jurist, judge, and Tory politician of the eighteenth century. He is most known for writing the Commentaries on the Laws of England. Blackstone came from a middle-class family in London. He studied at Charterhouse School before attending Pembroke College, Oxford in 1738. After switching to and finishing a Bachelor of Civil Law degree, he became a Fellow of All Souls, Oxford on November 2, 1743. He was admitted to Middle Temple and called to the Bar there in 1746. Following a slow start as a barrister, Blac

Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith (September 12, 1852 – February 15, 1928), was a British statesman and Liberal politician. He served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916. Asquith led the last majority Liberal government. He shaped major liberal laws and cut the power of the House of Lords. Asquith took Great Britain and the British Empire into World War I in August 1914. His government faced strong attacks in 1915.

Donald James Nicholls, Baron Nicholls of Birkenhead, PC (born January 25, 1933), is a British lawyer and retired Law Lord, also a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.

Max Rufus Mosley (born April 13, 1940) was the former president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA represents motoring organizations and car users globally. It also governs Formula One and other international motorsports. Mosley, a barrister and former amateur racing driver, founded and co-owned March Engineering, a racing car constructor and Formula One team. He handled legal and commercial matters for the company from 1969 to 1977 and served as its representative at the Formula One Co

Malcolm Bligh Turnbull, born October 24, 1954, is an Australian former politician. He became the 29th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 2015 to 2018. Turnbull led the Liberal Party twice. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 2008 to 2009, and again from 2015 to 2018. He represented Wentworth in the House of Representatives from 2004 to 2018. Turnbull earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney. He also obtained a Bachelor of Civil Law after attending Brasenose College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar.

Peter Andrew Stewart Milliken (born November 12, 1946) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. Milliken served in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 until his retirement in 2011. He served as Speaker of the House for 10 years, starting in 2001. Milliken represented the Ontario riding of Kingston and the Islands as a Liberal Party member. On October 12, 2009, he became the longest-serving Speaker of the House of Commons in Canadian history. His Speakership involved making many tie-breaking votes and several historic rulings. Milliken

John de Havilland refers to: John de Havilland (officer of arms) (1826–1886), an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. John de Havilland (pilot) (1918–1943), a British test pilot.

Robert Lorne Stanfield (April 11, 1914 – December 16, 2003) became the 17th Premier of Nova Scotia and led the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. He grew up in an affluent Nova Scotia clothing manufacturing and political family starting in 1914. Stanfield earned degrees from Dalhousie University and Harvard Law School during the 1930s. He took the leadership of the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party in 1948. After a rebuilding period, he brought the party to power in 1956. As premier, he won three consecutive elections. His government modernized the province.

Charles Ernest Owen Carter (1887-1968) was an English astrologer and writer. Many consider Carter one of the masters of astrology during his time. Carter's work, especially his focus on first principles, still influences astrology and astrologers today. He co-founded and became the first principal of the London Faculty of Astrological Studies; he had the idea. Carter was born January 31, 1887, at 11:01 p.m. GMT, in Parkstone, Poole, England. Carter started his career by graduating from the University of London in 1913 and practicing.

Frederic William Maitland (May 28, 1850 – c. December 19, 1906) was an English historian and lawyer. He is seen as the modern father of English legal history.

Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan (born September 27, 1945; Urdu: چودھری اعتزاز احسن) is a Pakistani politician and lawyer. Ahsan served as the Leader of the House in the Senate of Pakistan twice: from 1994 to 1997 and again from 2012 to 2015. He also served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. Ahsan was elected to the Senate of Pakistan from Punjab in 1994. His term ended in March 2018. Born in Murree, Ahsan studied law at the Government College, Lahore, and earned an LLM from Downing College, Cambridge. Ahsan became the Planning and Development Minister for Punjab in 1975.

Frederic Edward Weatherly, KC (October 4, 1848 – September 7, 1929) was an English lawyer, author, lyricist, and broadcaster. He was christened and raised using the name Frederick Edward Weatherly; he later seems to have used the spelling 'Frederic'. Weatherly wrote lyrics for at least 3,000 popular songs. These include the well-known sentimental ballad "Danny Boy" set to the tune "Londonderry Air", the religious song "The Holy City", and the wartime song "Roses of Picardy".

Brenda Marjorie Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond, known as Lady Hale (born 31 January 1945), is a British judge and the current President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. She joined the House of Lords in 2004 as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary. She became the only woman appointed to this position. Hale served as a Law Lord until 2009. Then, she and other Law Lords moved to the new Supreme Court. She served as Deputy President of the Supreme Court from 2013 to 2017. On 5 September 2017, Hale was appointed President of the Supreme Court and was sworn in on 2

Gareth John Evans AC, QC, born September 5, 1944, is an Australian politician, international policymaker, academic, and barrister. He served the Australian Labor Party in the Senate and House of Representatives from 1978 to 1999. Evans held Cabinet positions in the Hawke and Keating governments from 1983 to 1996. He served as Attorney-General, Minister for Resources and Energy, Minister for Transport and Communications, and most notably, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1988 to 1996. Evans led the Government in the Senate from 1993 to 1996 and was Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 1996 to.

Daniel Parker Coke (17 July 1745 – 6 December 1825) was an English barrister and Member of Parliament.

Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, known as Anthony Hope (February 9, 1863 – July 8, 1933), wrote English novels and plays. Hope wrote many adventure novels. People remember him mainly for two books: *The Prisoner of Zenda* (1894) and its sequel, *Rupert of Hentzau* (1898). These works, minor classics of English literature, set action in the fictional country of Ruritania. These books created the Ruritanian romance genre. Works set in fictional European locations resemble these novels. *Zenda* inspired many adaptations, including the 1937 film.

Jonathan Philip Chadwick Sumption, Lord Sumption (born 9 December 1948), is a British author, medieval historian, and former senior judge. He was sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court on 11 January 2012, succeeding The Lord Collins of Mapesbury. Sumption reached the Supreme Court bench directly from the practicing bar, not from prior full-time judicial service. He retired from the Supreme Court on 9 December 2018 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. Sumption is known for his work as a barrister in many legal cases, including appearances in the Hutto

Sir Robert Anderson (29 May 1841 – 15 November 1918) was the second Assistant Commissioner (Crime) of the London Metropolitan Police from 1888 to 1901. Anderson also worked as an intelligence officer, theologian, and writer.

Mobina S. B. Jaffer, born August 20, 1949 in Kampala, Uganda, is a Canadian Senator representing British Columbia. She is the first South Asian woman appointed to the Upper House. Jaffer sits on Standing Senate Committees on National Security and Defence, Finance, Official Languages and Internal Affairs, and Senate Subcommittees on Veterans Affairs and Diversity. She grew up in Africa with an Indian family. Jaffer studied in England and Canada. She earned her law degree from the University of London in 1972 and attended the Executive Development program at Simon.

Cherie Blair, born September 23, 1954, is a British barrister, lecturer, and writer. Cherie Booth is also her professional name. She married Tony Blair, who became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Dame Vera Baird, born 13 February 1950, is a British politician, barrister, and academic. She serves as The Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales now. She holds visiting professor roles: Legal Practice at Newcastle University, Honorary Doctor of Civil Law at Northumbria University, Law Professor at London South Bank University, and Law Lecturer at Teesside University. St Hilda's College, Oxford named her Honorary Fellow. November 2017 made her Honorary Fellow of Durham University Law School. She is Patron of Respe.

Alfred Thompson “Tom” Denning, Baron Denning (23 January 1899 – 5 March 1999), was an English lawyer and judge. He became a barrister in 1923 and a King's Counsel in 1938. Denning joined the bench in 1944, joining the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice. He moved to the King's Bench Division in 1945. A Lord Justice of Appeal in 1948 followed under five years in the High Court. He became a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in 1957, then returned to the Court of Appeal as Mast.

George Reginald Geary, born August 12, 1872, and died April 30, 1954, was a Canadian politician. Geary served as a Conservative member of the House of Commons from 1925 to 1935. He also served as Mayor of Toronto, Ontario, from 1910 to 1912.

Michael McDowell is a name for several people: Michael McDowell (politician), born 1951, barrister, and an Irish politician; Michael McDowell (actor), Northern Irish actor, 1950–1999; Michael McDowell (author), American novelist and screenwriter; Michael P. Kube-McDowell (born 1954), American science fiction writer; Michael McDowell (racing driver), born 1984; and Mike MacDowel (1932–2016), a former English racing driver.

Mary Howarth Arden, Lady Arden of Heswall, was born January 23, 1947, and is an English judge. Lady Arden currently serves as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Before this role, she judged on the Court of Appeal of England and Wales.