John Cyril Smith
Sir John Cyril Smith Barnard Castle, County Durham, England | |
---|---|
Died | February 14, 2003 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England | (aged 81)
Alma mater | Downing College, Cambridge |
Occupation | Legal Academic |
Organization | University of Nottingham |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | British Army |
Rank | Captain |
Unit | Royal Artillery |
Sir John Cyril Smith
Early life and education
Smith was educated at
Academic career
Smith joined the
In 1954, Smith became a founding member of the editorial board of the Criminal Law Review, to which he would contribute frequently throughout his career.[3][4] Smith's long association with the Criminal Law Review was notable for his frequent case commentaries, wherein Smith was unafraid to strongly criticise judgments. This led to a public rebuke from Lord Justice Lawton, though Smith did not back down.[5] Smith was notable in the area of the criminal law on theft, writing a monograph titled "The Law of Theft" in 1968, now in its ninth edition (2007).[7]
During the 1960s Smith was a co-opted member of the Criminal Law Revision Committee, being appointed member in the late 1970s.[4] The resulting recommendations played an important part in the development of the Theft Acts of 1968 & 1978.[3] Smith, in several Criminal Law Review case commentaries, was notably critical[4] of the interpretations of the Theft Acts, particularly DPP v Gomez and R v Hinks.[8][9] Smith was an advocate for a criminal code of England and Wales (an English Criminal Code) working on a draft criminal code in the early 1980s, which was adopted by the Law Commission in 1989.[10][4] The code has not yet been adopted, which, during his lifetime, was to the great disappointment of Professor Smith.[3]
Smith noted that the 'only subject he had taught every year throughout his career was evidence.'[4] Smith wrote the book "Criminal Evidence" published by Sweet & Maxwell (1 June 1995).[11]
Smith was elected as a fellow of the
Personal life and death
Smith was married to Shirley Walters, they had two sons and one daughter.[3]
Smith died in Nottingham on the 14 February 2003.[3]
References
- ISBN 978-0-19-188417-7.
- ^ Lord Edmund-Davies, at p. 715, Abbott v The Queen [1977] A.C. 755
- ^ ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ashworth, Andrew (2005). "John Cyril Smith" (PDF). Proceedings of the British Academy (130): 215.
- ^ Independent.co.uk. 4 June 2010. Archived from the originalon 4 June 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "Smith & Thomas: A Casebook on Contract - Paperback | Academic Law | Sweet & Maxwell". www.sweetandmaxwell.co.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-19-929989-8.
- ^ Smith, Sir John (2001). "Theft: Appropriation". Criminal Law Review (2001): 162โ166.
- ^ Shute, Stephen (2002). "Appropriation and the Law of Theft". Criminal Law Review: 445โ458, see footnote 29.
- ^ Law Com. No. 177, A Criminal Code for England and Wales, (1989) - https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/app/uploads/2016/07/LC.-177-CRIMINAL-LAW-A-CRIMINAL-CODE-FOR-ENGLAND-AND-WALES-VOLUME-2-COMMENTARY-ON-DRAFT-CRIMINAL-CODE-BILL.pdf
- ISBN 978-0-421-53580-0.
- ^ Annual Report, 1972-3 (British Academy, 1973) p.37
- Lord Chief Justice of England (1998) "Speech at Dinner for HM Judges, The Mansion House, London, 22 July
- Professor Andrew Ashworth, Vinerian Professor of English Law (2003) "Obituary, John Smith, The Independent, 21 March