Geoffrey Bindman
Encyclopedia
Professor Sir Geoffrey Lionel Bindman QC
(born 3 January 1933) is a British solicitor
specialising in human rights law, and founder of the human rights law firm Bindmans LLP, described by The Times
as "never far from the headlines." He has been Chair of the British Institute of Human Rights since 2005. He won The Law Society Gazette
Centenary Award for Human Rights in 2003, and was knighted
in 2006 for services to human rights. In 2011 he was appointed Queen's Counsel
.
to a family descended from Jewish immigrants. His father Gerald was a GP
. Bindman attended the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle
, and then graduated from Oriel College, Oxford with a law degree
in 1956, qualifying as a solicitor three years later. He became a legal advisor to the Race Relations Board
in 1966, a job he retained for seventeen years. He also served as a legal advisor to Amnesty International
and represented satirical magazine Private Eye
. In the late 1980s, Bindman visited South Africa
as part of an International Commission of Jurists
delegation sent to investigate apartheid and subsequently became editor of a book on the topic, South Africa and the Rule of Law.
, Keith Vaz
and Jack Straw
. Bindman also continued his international human rights work, acting as a United Nations
observer at the first democratic election in South Africa
and representing Amnesty International's interests in the British litigation
regarding Augusto Pinochet
in the late 1990s.
In 2001, Bindman was fined £12,000 by the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (now the Solicitors Regulation Authority
) for acting despite having a conflict of interest
, as well as for breach of confidentiality. It was remarked at the time that he was the "most eminent" lawyer ever to be brought before such a tribunal.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(born 3 January 1933) is a British solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
specialising in human rights law, and founder of the human rights law firm Bindmans LLP, described by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as "never far from the headlines." He has been Chair of the British Institute of Human Rights since 2005. He won The Law Society Gazette
The Law Society Gazette
The Law Society Gazette is a British weekly trade magazine for solicitors in England and Wales published by the Law Society of England and Wales....
Centenary Award for Human Rights in 2003, and was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 2006 for services to human rights. In 2011 he was appointed Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
.
Family and early professional life
Bindman was born and brought up in GatesheadGateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
to a family descended from Jewish immigrants. His father Gerald was a GP
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
. Bindman attended the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle
Royal Grammar School, Newcastle
Royal Grammar School Newcastle upon Tyne, known locally and often abbreviated as RGS, is a long-established co-educational, independent school in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It gained its Royal Charter under Queen Elizabeth I...
, and then graduated from Oriel College, Oxford with a law degree
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
in 1956, qualifying as a solicitor three years later. He became a legal advisor to the Race Relations Board
Commission for Racial Equality
The Commission for Racial Equality was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to tackle racial discrimination and promote racial equality. Its work has been merged into the new Equality and Human Rights Commission.-History:...
in 1966, a job he retained for seventeen years. He also served as a legal advisor to Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
and represented satirical magazine Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
. In the late 1980s, Bindman visited South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
as part of an International Commission of Jurists
International Commission of Jurists
The International Commission of Jurists is an international human rights non-governmental organization. The Commission itself is a standing group of 60 eminent jurists , including members of the senior judiciary in Australia, Canada, and South Africa and the former UN High Commissioner for Human...
delegation sent to investigate apartheid and subsequently became editor of a book on the topic, South Africa and the Rule of Law.
Bindmans LLP
In 1974, Bindman established Bindmans LLP as a firm with the aim of "protecting the rights and freedoms of ordinary people." Since then, he has personally acted as lawyer for numerous high-profile people including James HanrattyJames Hanratty
James Hanratty , a petty criminal with no history of violence, was the eighth-to-last person in the United Kingdom to be hanged after being convicted of the murder of Michael Gregsten at Deadman's Hill on the A6, near the village of Clophill, Bedfordshire, England, on 23 August 1961...
, Keith Vaz
Keith Vaz
Nigel Keith Anthony Standish Vaz, known as Keith Vaz, was born 26 November 1956 in Aden, Yemen.Keith Vaz is a British Labour Party politician and a Member of Parliament for Leicester East, He is the longest serving Asian MP and has been the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee since July...
and Jack Straw
Jack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
. Bindman also continued his international human rights work, acting as a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
observer at the first democratic election in South Africa
South African general election, 1994
The South African general election of 1994 was an election held in South Africa to mark the end of apartheid, therefore also the first held with universal adult suffrage. The election was conducted under the direction of the Independent Electoral Commission .Millions queued in lines over a three...
and representing Amnesty International's interests in the British litigation
Augusto Pinochet's arrest and trial
General Augusto Pinochet was indicted for human rights violations committed in his native Chile by Spanish magistrate Baltasar Garzón on 10 October 1998. He was arrested in London six days later and finally released by the British government in March 2000...
regarding Augusto Pinochet
Augusto Pinochet
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte, more commonly known as Augusto Pinochet , was a Chilean army general and dictator who assumed power in a coup d'état on 11 September 1973...
in the late 1990s.
In 2001, Bindman was fined £12,000 by the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (now the Solicitors Regulation Authority
Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Solicitors Regulation Authority was launched on 29 January 2007. It is the regulatory body for more than 120,000 solicitors in England and Wales...
) for acting despite having a conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
, as well as for breach of confidentiality. It was remarked at the time that he was the "most eminent" lawyer ever to be brought before such a tribunal.