Gerald Howard
Encyclopedia
Sir Stephen Gerald Howard, KC
(7 June 1896 – 25 June 1973) was a British
farmer, barrister
and judge who was an active National Liberal
and later Conservative Party
politician. He had a junior role on the prosecution team in several celebrated trials in the immediate post-war era.
, who was Liberal Party
Member of Parliament
for Sudbury
between 1918 and 1922. He was sent to Harrow School
, but interrupted his education in 1916 to join the Royal Flying Corps
. He became a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force
on its formation in 1918. Later that year he left the RAF to go Balliol College
, Oxford
where he studied law.
for Eye
in Suffolk
as a National Liberal with Conservative Party
support. In 1924, Howard was called to the Bar by Lincoln's Inn
. He became a criminal law barrister, generally appearing as a junior for the prosecution; he also remained very attached to East Anglia where he farmed on the family estate. While appearing not to have any personal interest in the way the case turned out, he was a skillful advocate and appeared in many high-profile cases. In November 1936 he was appointed to be third junior counsel for the crown (a crown prosecutor) at the Old Bailey
(Central Criminal Court). In December 1942 he was elected a Bencher of Lincoln's Inn.
in November 1944, but unexpectedly lost the seat in the 1945 general election
by 44 votes. Earlier that year, Howard had prosecuted in the "Cleft chin murder trial". Howard was High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire for the year 1945 to 1946, and became a senior Prosecuting Counsel at the end of the year. He was also Recorder of Ipswich
from 1947 and Chairman of Quarter Sessions for Cambridgeshire from 1947.
The period between 1945 and 1950 saw Howard's most prominent cases. The week after the election he prosecuted John Amery
for treason
, and he was also third prosecution counsel at the trial of William Joyce
('Lord Haw Haw'). He prosecuted other treason trials arising out of the war. He was on the prosecution team for Thomas Ley and Lawrence Smith
(the "Chalkpit murder") in 1947, and in 1949 he took part in the trial of John George Haigh
, the "Acid Bath murderer".
, Howard was elected for Cambridgeshire, regaining the seat from Labour. He was made a King's Counsel
on election and remained in practice as a prosecutor. In Parliament he remained loyal to the Conservative whip, and in 1952 successfully defended The Times
against a charge arising out of advertisements issued during the 1951 general election
criticising nationalisation. In 1952 he became Chairman of Quarter Sessions for East and West Suffolk
and in 1958 he was made Recorder of Southend.
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...
(7 June 1896 – 25 June 1973) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
farmer, barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and judge who was an active National Liberal
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
and later Conservative Party
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...
politician. He had a junior role on the prosecution team in several celebrated trials in the immediate post-war era.
First World War
Howard was the son of Stephen Goodwin HowardStephen Goodwin Howard
Stephen Goodwin Howard CBE was a British Liberal politician.-Family:Howard was the son of Stephen Howard of Kirtling in Cambridgeshire. His family home was at The Moat, Upend. In 1895 he married Mary Maude Hailey. They a son and two daughters. Their son Stephen Gerald Howard QC was Conservative...
, who was Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
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 Sudbury
Sudbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Sudbury was a parliamentary constituency which was represented in the British House of Commons. A parliamentary borough consisting of the town of Sudbury in Suffolk, it returned two Members of Parliament from 1559 until it was disenfranchised for corruption in 1844...
between 1918 and 1922. He was sent to Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, but interrupted his education in 1916 to join the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
. He became a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
on its formation in 1918. Later that year he left the RAF to go Balliol College
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, 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...
where he studied law.
Criminal law barrister
Following his father's political affiliations, Howard was a candidate at the 1922 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
for Eye
Eye (UK Parliament constituency)
Eye was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote system of election...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
as a National Liberal with Conservative Party
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...
support. In 1924, Howard was called to the Bar by Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
. He became a criminal law barrister, generally appearing as a junior for the prosecution; he also remained very attached to East Anglia where he farmed on the family estate. While appearing not to have any personal interest in the way the case turned out, he was a skillful advocate and appeared in many high-profile cases. In November 1936 he was appointed to be third junior counsel for the crown (a crown prosecutor) at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
(Central Criminal Court). In December 1942 he was elected a Bencher of Lincoln's Inn.
Prominent trials
Howard was appointed Recorder of Bury St Edmunds (a part-time judicial post) in 1943. He was adopted as Conservative Party candidate for CambridgeshireCambridgeshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Cambridgeshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Knights...
in November 1944, but unexpectedly lost the seat in the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
by 44 votes. Earlier that year, Howard had prosecuted in the "Cleft chin murder trial". Howard was High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire for the year 1945 to 1946, and became a senior Prosecuting Counsel at the end of the year. He was also Recorder of Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
from 1947 and Chairman of Quarter Sessions for Cambridgeshire from 1947.
The period between 1945 and 1950 saw Howard's most prominent cases. The week after the election he prosecuted John Amery
John Amery
John Amery was a British fascist who proposed to the Wehrmacht the formation of a British volunteer force and made recruitment efforts and propaganda broadcasts for Nazi Germany...
for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
, and he was also third prosecution counsel at the trial of William Joyce
William Joyce
William Joyce , nicknamed Lord Haw-Haw, was an Irish-American fascist politician and Nazi propaganda broadcaster to the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He was hanged for treason by the British as a result of his wartime activities, even though he had renounced his British nationality...
('Lord Haw Haw'). He prosecuted other treason trials arising out of the war. He was on the prosecution team for Thomas Ley and Lawrence Smith
Thomas John Ley
Thomas John Ley was an Australian politician who was convicted of murder in England. It is highly likely that he was also involved in the deaths of a number of people in Australia.-Early life:...
(the "Chalkpit murder") in 1947, and in 1949 he took part in the trial of John George Haigh
John George Haigh
John George Haigh , commonly known as the "Acid Bath Murderer" , was an English serial killer during the 1940s. He was convicted of the murders of six people, although he claimed to have killed nine...
, the "Acid Bath murderer".
Parliamentary career
At the 1950 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
, Howard was elected for Cambridgeshire, regaining the seat from Labour. He was made a King'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...
on election and remained in practice as a prosecutor. In Parliament he remained loyal to the Conservative whip, and in 1952 successfully defended 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...
against a charge arising out of advertisements issued during the 1951 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
criticising nationalisation. In 1952 he became Chairman of Quarter Sessions for East and West Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
and in 1958 he was made Recorder of Southend.