Herbert du Parcq, Baron du Parcq
Encyclopedia
Herbert du Parcq, Baron du Parcq PC
, KC (5 August 1880 – 27 April 1949) was a British
judge.
Herbert du Parcq was born in Saint Helier
, Jersey
in 1880, son of Clement Pixley du Parcq and Sophia Thoreau. He was educated at Victoria College, Jersey
and Exeter College, Oxford
(BA Literae Humaniores
) (2nd class)) and Jesus College, Oxford
(BCL
, Senior Scholar). He was president of the Oxford Union
in 1902. He was called to the Bar by Middle Temple
in 1906 and admitted to the Jersey Bar in the same year.
In 1911 he married Lucy Renouf, from St Helier. They had two daughters Helen and Catherine and a son John Renouf. Herbert died in a London nursing home on April 27 1949.
He became a specialist in commercial litigation in London, took silk as a Q.C. in 1926 and was appointed Recorder
for Portsmouth in 1928 and Recorder for Bristol in 1929. A mutiny in Dartmoor Prison on 24 January 1932 led to the setting up of a commission of enquiry under Herbert du Parcq. His report was considered satisfactory and he was rewarded with an appointment to the King's Bench Division as a judge.
Invested to the Privy Council
in 1938, du Parcq was Lord Justice of Appeal
from 1938 to 1946. On 5 February 1946, he was appointed Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
and was created a life peer
with the title Baron du Parcq, of Grouville
in the Island of Jersey.
During World War 2, he chaired the Channel Islands Refugees Committee which raised funds, gave financial relief, distributed clothing, traced relatives and gave guidance and help to refugees. The UK government relied on the Committee for information on the Channel Islands and in September 1940 his first appeal for funds on the BBC's 'The Week's Good Cause' programme raised what was then a record result.
In 1946 he became chairman of a Royal Commission
into justices of the peace. He was a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration
at The Hague
, and was an Honorary Fellow of Exeter College and Jesus College.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, KC (5 August 1880 – 27 April 1949) 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...
judge.
Herbert du Parcq was born in Saint Helier
Saint Helier
Saint Helier is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. St. Helier has a population of about 28,000, roughly 31.2% of the total population of Jersey, and is the capital of the Island . The urban area of the parish of St...
, Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
in 1880, son of Clement Pixley du Parcq and Sophia Thoreau. He was educated at Victoria College, Jersey
Victoria College, Jersey
Victoria College is a fee paying States of Jersey-provided school in membership of the HMC, in St Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands. The castellated neo-gothic architecture is a landmark overlooking the town.-History:In the 1590s, Laurens Baudains - a wealthy farmer from St...
and Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
(BA Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores is the name given to an undergraduate course focused on Classics at Oxford and some other universities.The Latin name means literally "more humane letters", but is perhaps better rendered as "Advanced Studies", since humaniores has the sense of "more refined" or "more learned",...
) (2nd class)) and Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
(BCL
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...
, Senior Scholar). He was president of the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
in 1902. He was called to the Bar by Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1906 and admitted to the Jersey Bar in the same year.
In 1911 he married Lucy Renouf, from St Helier. They had two daughters Helen and Catherine and a son John Renouf. Herbert died in a London nursing home on April 27 1949.
He became a specialist in commercial litigation in London, took silk as a Q.C. in 1926 and was appointed Recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
for Portsmouth in 1928 and Recorder for Bristol in 1929. A mutiny in Dartmoor Prison on 24 January 1932 led to the setting up of a commission of enquiry under Herbert du Parcq. His report was considered satisfactory and he was rewarded with an appointment to the King's Bench Division as a judge.
Invested to the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
in 1938, du Parcq was Lord Justice of Appeal
Lord Justice of Appeal
A Lord Justice of Appeal is an ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, and represents the second highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales-Appointment:...
from 1938 to 1946. On 5 February 1946, he was appointed Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, commonly known as Law Lords, were appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the House of Lords of the United Kingdom in order to exercise its judicial functions, which included acting as the highest court of appeal for most domestic matters...
and was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
with the title Baron du Parcq, of Grouville
Grouville
-Vingtaines:Grouville is divided for administrative purposes into vingtaines as follows:*La Vingtaine des Marais*La Vingtaine de la Rue*La Vingtaine de Longueville*La Vingtaine de la RocqueThe Minquiers are part of the parish of Grouville....
in the Island of Jersey.
During World War 2, he chaired the Channel Islands Refugees Committee which raised funds, gave financial relief, distributed clothing, traced relatives and gave guidance and help to refugees. The UK government relied on the Committee for information on the Channel Islands and in September 1940 his first appeal for funds on the BBC's 'The Week's Good Cause' programme raised what was then a record result.
In 1946 he became chairman of a Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
into justices of the peace. He was a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration
Permanent Court of Arbitration
The Permanent Court of Arbitration , is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands.-History:The court was established in 1899 as one of the acts of the first Hague Peace Conference, which makes it the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.The creation of...
at The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, and was an Honorary Fellow of Exeter College and Jesus College.