Douglas Johnston, Lord Johnston
Encyclopedia
Douglas Harold Johnston TD
(1 February 1907 – 18 February 1985) was a Scottish
Advocate, politician and Judge. He served as a Minister in the government of Clement Attlee
and ended his career as a Senator of the College of Justice
. Johnston took the legal title Lord Johnston.
and educated at Aberdeen Grammar School
. He then went on to St John's College
, Oxford
followed by the University of Edinburgh
at both of which he studied law. He was called to the Bar in England by the Inner Temple
in 1931, and to the Scottish Bar in 1932.
who was Conservative
Member of Parliament
for Linlithgowshire
from 1918 to 1928. They had two sons and two daughters. During the Second World War he served in the army; on his return he was promoted to be an Advocate Depute, a crown prosecutor, in 1945. He was made a Scottish King's Counsel in 1947.
and on 24 October 1947 he was appointed as Solicitor General for Scotland
, a government position. He was not then a Member of Parliament but when the constituency of Paisley
was vacated by Viscount Corvedale
on inheriting his father's Earldom, Johnston was selected to follow him as Labour candidate on 8 January 1948. In the ensuing by-election
he faced a straight fight with J.M. MacCormick, a Glasgow solicitor who had been a prominent Scottish Nationalist and was adopted as candidate both by the Conservatives and Liberals. Johnston won by 6,545 votes.
Johnston retained his government post until Labour went out of office in 1951. He then became an opposition front-bencher. In May 1954 he moved the rejection of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Bill on the grounds that it burdened the community with the cost of compensating landowners for the loss of land value. He was not a prominent figure, concentrating on the details of policy. In the meantime he kept up his practice at the Scottish Bar, often appearing at public inquiries.
, a judicial post, an appointment which vacated his Parliamentary seat. He took the judicial title of Lord Johnston. In December 1963 he found that the national joint council responsible for setting teachers' salaries had not been properly constituted, and awarded the schoolteachers who had brought the case their expenses. He was appointed as Chairman of the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland in 1965.
After the conviction of three Glasgow youths who had killed a man in a street fight in 1977, Johnston decided to defer the sentencing for 12 months. This action was criticised by the Scottish Police Federation. Johnston retired in 1978.
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
(1 February 1907 – 18 February 1985) was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Advocate, politician and Judge. He served as a Minister in the government of Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
and ended his career as a Senator of the College of Justice
College of Justice
The College of Justice is a term used to describe the Supreme Courts of Scotland, and its associated bodies.The constituent bodies of the supreme courts of Scotland are the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary, and the Accountant of Court's Office...
. Johnston took the legal title Lord Johnston.
Education
Johnston's father Joseph was also an Advocate; he was born in AberdeenAberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
and educated at Aberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen Grammar School, known to students as The Grammar is a state secondary school in the City of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of twelve secondary schools run by the Aberdeen City Council educational department...
. He then went on to St John's College
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
followed by the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
at both of which he studied law. He was called to the Bar in England by the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1931, and to the Scottish Bar in 1932.
Career
On 4 April 1936 Johnston married Doris Isobel Kidd, the daughter of James KiddJames Kidd
James Kidd was Unionist Party politician in Scotland. He sat in the House of Commons from 1918 to 1922, and from 1924 until his death....
who was Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Linlithgowshire
Linlithgowshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Linlithgowshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 to 1945. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system....
from 1918 to 1928. They had two sons and two daughters. During the Second World War he served in the army; on his return he was promoted to be an Advocate Depute, a crown prosecutor, in 1945. He was made a Scottish King's Counsel in 1947.
Political career
Johnston had become a supporter of the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and on 24 October 1947 he was appointed as Solicitor General for Scotland
Solicitor General for Scotland
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Government on Scots Law...
, a government position. He was not then a Member of Parliament but when the constituency of Paisley
Paisley (UK Parliament constituency)
Paisley was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1983, when it was divided into Paisley North and Paisley South...
was vacated by Viscount Corvedale
Oliver Baldwin, 2nd Earl Baldwin of Bewdley
Oliver Ridsdale Baldwin, 2nd Earl Baldwin of Bewdley , known as Viscount Corvedale from 1937 to 1947, was a British politician who had a quixotic career at political odds to his father, three-time Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin.Baldwin was educated at Eton College, and grew up in the shadow of his...
on inheriting his father's Earldom, Johnston was selected to follow him as Labour candidate on 8 January 1948. In the ensuing by-election
Paisley by-election, 1948
The Paisley by-election, 1948 was a parliamentary by-election held on 18 February 1948 for the British House of Commons constituency of Paisley in Scotland....
he faced a straight fight with J.M. MacCormick, a Glasgow solicitor who had been a prominent Scottish Nationalist and was adopted as candidate both by the Conservatives and Liberals. Johnston won by 6,545 votes.
Johnston retained his government post until Labour went out of office in 1951. He then became an opposition front-bencher. In May 1954 he moved the rejection of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Bill on the grounds that it burdened the community with the cost of compensating landowners for the loss of land value. He was not a prominent figure, concentrating on the details of policy. In the meantime he kept up his practice at the Scottish Bar, often appearing at public inquiries.
Judicial post
In January 1961, Johnston was named as a Senator of the College of JusticeCollege of Justice
The College of Justice is a term used to describe the Supreme Courts of Scotland, and its associated bodies.The constituent bodies of the supreme courts of Scotland are the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary, and the Accountant of Court's Office...
, a judicial post, an appointment which vacated his Parliamentary seat. He took the judicial title of Lord Johnston. In December 1963 he found that the national joint council responsible for setting teachers' salaries had not been properly constituted, and awarded the schoolteachers who had brought the case their expenses. He was appointed as Chairman of the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland in 1965.
After the conviction of three Glasgow youths who had killed a man in a street fight in 1977, Johnston decided to defer the sentencing for 12 months. This action was criticised by the Scottish Police Federation. Johnston retired in 1978.