Richard Ferguson (barrister)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Richard Ferguson (politician)
)

Richard Ferguson
Member of the Northern Ireland Parliament
for South Antrim
In office
1968–1970
Preceded byBrian McConnell
Succeeded byWilliam Beattie
Personal details
Born22 August 1935
Derrygonnelly, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
Died26 July 2009
Political partyAlliance Party (from 1971)
Ulster Unionist Party (until 1971)

Richard (Dick) Ferguson

SC (22 August 1935 – 26 July 2009)[1] was a Northern Irish barrister and Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician
.

Background

Born in

Queen's University, Belfast.[1] He was called to the Bar in Northern Ireland in 1956 and later still in the Republic of Ireland, and from 1972, in England.[2]

Political career

Although he rapidly established a reputation as one of the jurisdiction's ablest young advocates, in 1968 Ferguson was elected to the

Unionist and was a supporter of the Prime Minister Terence O'Neill
. [3] Before his election, he had called for local government reform including a one man, one vote system.[4] O'Neill in his autobiography praised Ferguson as 'the most liberal supporter I had'.

Ferguson held his seat at the

loyalists.[5][6]

Legal career

In 1971, Ferguson joined the

Senior Counsel, before moving to London in 1986 where he became a QC in England.[1] From 1993 until 1995, he served as the Chair of the Criminal Bar Association.[2]

He was defence counsel in many high-profile cases, such as those of mass-murderers

Iraq.[1] By 2003, he was the top-earning criminal defence barrister, with more than £800,000 in that year.[1]

Grave of Richard Ferguson in Highgate Cemetery

In an obituary it was noted that he represented "property tycoon Nicholas Van Hoogstraten, Richard Branson of Virgin, Afghan airplane hijackers, the Birmingham Six, Guinness boss Ernest Saunders and boxer Terry Marsh....he regretted, he once said, not having the chance to defend Michael Jackson."[6]

Death notification

Ferguson died after heart surgery on 26 July 2009, aged 73, and was buried on the eastern side of Highgate Cemetery. He is survived by his second wife, Roma (née Whelan), a barrister, and their son; and by his first wife, Janet (née Magowan), and their four children.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Northern Ireland-born QC who defended Rose West and Brighton bomber dies aged 73", Belfast Telegraph, 29 July 2009
  2. ^ a b c d e "Biographies of Members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons". Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2008.
  3. ^ Graham Walker, A History of the Ulster Unionist Party
  4. Queen's University of Belfast
  5. ^ a b Tony Geraghty, The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict Between the IRA and British Intelligence
  6. ^ a b "High profile QC Richard Ferguson dies". 30 July 2009.

External links

Parliament of Northern Ireland
Preceded by
Member of Parliament for South Antrim

1968–1970 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Ferguson_(barrister)&oldid=1219846009"