John B. Harman

FRCS, FRCP (10 August 1907 – 13 November 1994) was a British physician, president of the Medical Defence Union and chairman of the British National Formulary. He was also notable as a medical expert witness for the defence in the trial of suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams. His daughter, Harriet Harman, is a senior Labour Party

Edith Alice Morrell. Harman was called as the defence's main expert witness. He gave evidence that though the deceased was being prescribed high amounts of heroin and morphine by her general practitioner, it was entirely justified under the circumstances and that it would have done more harm to the patient if the treatment was discontinued.^[3] During cross-examination, however, it was established: that Harman had himself only ever worked as a general practitioner for a total of two weeks. He had only ever treated a handful of drug addicts – before the war. He had never seen 'spasms' caused by drug addiction, despite acting them out for the court in detail – he had only ever read about them. And furthermore, despite being a witness for the defence, he claimed he had at no time talked to Adams about his treatment of the patient.^[3]

Reginald Manningham-Buller, entered a nolle prosequi which the presiding judge, Patrick Devlin, later termed "an abuse of process".^[4]

pathologist Francis Camps, however, suspected Adams of causing the deaths of 163 patients in total.^[3]

dissecting aortic aneurysm, while driving his car to St Thomas's in 1994,^[1]

Elizabeth (wife of Lord Longford), introduced him to a barrister, Anna Spicer. They married in 1946 and had four daughters - Sarah, Harriet, Virginia - who all became solicitors.^[1] Harriet became Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and served in the Cabinet under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and is Mother of the House of Commons