Hubert Parker, Baron Parker of Waddington
Lord Justice of Appeal | |
---|---|
In office 1954–1958 | |
Appointed by | Queen Elizabeth II |
Judge of the High Court of Justice | |
In office 1950 – 19 April 1971 | |
Appointed by | Queen Elizabeth II |
Personal details | |
Born | Hubert Lister Parker 28 May 1900 |
Died | 15 September 1972 | (aged 72)
Nationality | British |
Parent | Robert Parker, Baron Parker of Waddington |
Education | Rugby School |
Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
Awards | Knight Bachelor Life peer |
Hubert Lister Parker, Baron Parker of Waddington,
The son of a law lord, Parker was educated at
Family and early life
Parker was the son of
Legal career
At the Bar, Parker specialised in commercial cases and developed a courtroom style that tried to be fair to all the arguments and make a case with calmness. In 1945, he became the
Judicial career
As a judge, Parker found himself presiding over trials in areas of the law he was unfamiliar with. He claimed that the first summing up which he gave in a criminal trial was the first he had ever heard. However, by getting down to the work, he eventually mastered the job and by 1954 was promoted to the Court of Appeal. The more measured style of the appellate courts suited Parker more than the cut and thrust of the King's Bench, and his ability to get to the important details of a case was assessed as good by those who appeared before him. He proved that he had reasonable political judgment in 1957 when heading a tribunal over a minor political scandal connected with the setting of interest rates.[1]
As Lord Chief Justice
Lord Goddard announced his resignation as Lord Chief Justice in 1958. He had been an exception to the tradition that the Attorney General be appointed to the role and some commentators expected that the next appointment would therefore be Sir Reginald Manningham-Buller, Attorney-General at the time. However Manningham-Buller was widely disliked and also shared Goddard's reactionary views on criminal justice. Harold Macmillan considered Viscount Kilmuir, the Lord Chancellor, but Kilmuir rejected the job. Macmillan therefore decided to appoint a senior judge, and Parker's name emerged as the one candidate with whom most people were happy.[1] On 30 September 1958, Parker took the title Baron Parker of Waddington, of Lincoln's Inn in the Borough of Holborn.[3][2]
Parker's style was totally different from Goddard as he confined himself to the higher courts and did not intervene in everyday criminal trials. He had little interest in the social life of the judiciary. He was called upon where a trial had a serious political aspect, and was criticised when he imprisoned journalists who refused to reveal their
However, Parker was popular among the profession as he secured improvements in judicial salaries and pensions. Parker was a mild reformer who supported
In 1964 Parker instituted the first 'Sentencing conference' to try to get consistency. In the late 1960s he introduced the first formal training for Judges, and welcomed the formation of the
Death
Parker announced his retirement before the committee reported, and died the next year at the cattle farm he ran together with his wife of 48 years.[1]
Arms
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References
- ^ a b c d e f D. A. S. Cairns, 'Parker, Hubert Lister, Baron Parker of Waddington (1900–1972)', rev. Robert Stevens, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2006, accessed 15 Feb 2010.
- ^ a b c "Lord Parker of Waddington" (obituary), The Times, 16 September 1972, p. 14.
- ^ "No. 41511". The London Gazette. 30 September 1958. p. 5973.
- ^ "Officials And The Rule Of Law", The Times, 29 June 1960, p. 8.
- ^ "Parker of Waddington, Baron (Law Lord) (UK, 1913 - 1918)".