Lawrence Collins
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Antony Collins, Baron Collins of Mapesbury, PC (born 7 May 1941), is a British
judge
and former Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
. He was also appointed to the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong on April 11, 2011 as a non-permanent judges from other common law jurisdictions. He was formerly a partner in the British law firm
Herbert Smith
.
, and then at Downing College, Cambridge
, graduating with a starred first
in Law
. He received an LL.M. from Columbia Law School
in New York
and was admitted as a solicitor
in 1968, becoming a Partner at Herbert Smith
in 1971 until his appointment as a judge in 2000. He served as head of the Litigation and Arbitration Department at Herbert Smith from 1995 to 1998. He and Arthur Marriott were the two first practising solicitor
s to be appointed Queen's Counsel
, on March 27, 1997. As a solicitor-advocate, he appeared before the English Court of Appeal, the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords, and the European Court of Justice
. He acted for Government of Chile
in the case to extradite General Pinochet. He has one daughter and one son.
, becoming a full-time Judge (as Mr Justice Lawrence Collins) in the Chancery Division on 28 September 2000, at which time he left Herbert Smith. He was the first solicitor to be appointed as a judge of the High Court direct from private practice, and only the second solicitor to be appointed, after Sir Michael Sachs
in 1993, who had previously sat as a circuit judge for nine years. In a landmark case in 2006, he required file sharers who had refused to settle with the British Phonographic Industry
to pay damages running into thousands of pounds.
His appointment (as Lord Justice Lawrence Collins) as a Lord Justice of Appeal
(judge of the Court of Appeal
) was announced on 11 January 2007, and he was sworn to the Privy Council
a month later. On 8 April 2009, it was announced that he would replace Lord Hoffmann (who retired on 20 April 2009) as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
. He is the first solicitor to be appointed to these senior levels of the judiciary. Accordingly, on 21 April 2009, he was created Baron Collins of Mapesbury, of Hampstead Town
in the London Borough of Camden
, and was introduced in the House of Lords
on 28 April 2009. On 1 October 2009 he and nine other Lords of Appeal became Justices
of the Supreme Court
upon that body's inauguration.
He has been a Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge
, since 1975, and became a Fellow of the British Academy in 1994. He is a member of the Institut de droit international
. He has been the general edi tor of Dicey & Morris, the standard reference work on conflict of laws
, since 1987, and it was retitled Dicey, Morris and Collins in its 14th edition, published in 2006. He is also the author of many other books and articles on private international law. He became a Bencher
of the Inner Temple
in 2001.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
and former Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom are the judges of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom other than the President and Deputy President. The Supreme Court is the highest in the United Kingdom for civil matters, and for criminal matters from England and Wales and Northern Ireland...
. He was also appointed to the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong on April 11, 2011 as a non-permanent judges from other common law jurisdictions. He was formerly a partner in the British law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
Herbert Smith
Herbert Smith
Herbert Smith LLP is an international law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The firm has offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm was founded in the City of London in 1882 by Norman Herbert Smith and today has 240 partners and 1,300 fee-earners.-History:The firm was...
.
Early life
Collins was born on 7 May 1941 and educated at the City of London SchoolCity of London School
The City of London School is a boys' independent day school on the banks of the River Thames in the City of London, England. It is the brother school of the City of London School for Girls and the co-educational City of London Freemen's School...
, and then at Downing College, Cambridge
Downing College, Cambridge
Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1800 and currently has around 650 students.- History :...
, graduating with a starred first
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
in Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. He received an LL.M. from Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and was admitted as a 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...
in 1968, becoming a Partner at Herbert Smith
Herbert Smith
Herbert Smith LLP is an international law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The firm has offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm was founded in the City of London in 1882 by Norman Herbert Smith and today has 240 partners and 1,300 fee-earners.-History:The firm was...
in 1971 until his appointment as a judge in 2000. He served as head of the Litigation and Arbitration Department at Herbert Smith from 1995 to 1998. He and Arthur Marriott were the two first practising 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...
s to be 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...
, on March 27, 1997. As a solicitor-advocate, he appeared before the English Court of Appeal, the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords, and the European Court of Justice
European Court of Justice
The Court can sit in plenary session, as a Grand Chamber of 13 judges, or in chambers of three or five judges. Plenary sitting are now very rare, and the court mostly sits in chambers of three or five judges...
. He acted for Government of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
in the case to extradite General Pinochet. He has one daughter and one son.
Judiciary
In 1997, he was appointed a Deputy High Court JudgeHigh Court judge
A High Court judge is a judge of the High Court of Justice, and represents the third highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales. High Court judges are referred to as puisne judges...
, becoming a full-time Judge (as Mr Justice Lawrence Collins) in the Chancery Division on 28 September 2000, at which time he left Herbert Smith. He was the first solicitor to be appointed as a judge of the High Court direct from private practice, and only the second solicitor to be appointed, after Sir Michael Sachs
Michael Sachs (judge)
Sir Michael Alexander Geddes Sachs was the second English solicitor after John Wall to be appointed as a High Court judge...
in 1993, who had previously sat as a circuit judge for nine years. In a landmark case in 2006, he required file sharers who had refused to settle with the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
to pay damages running into thousands of pounds.
His appointment (as Lord Justice Lawrence Collins) as a 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:...
(judge of the Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal of England and Wales
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom above it...
) was announced on 11 January 2007, and he was sworn 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...
a month later. On 8 April 2009, it was announced that he would replace Lord Hoffmann (who retired on 20 April 2009) as a 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...
. He is the first solicitor to be appointed to these senior levels of the judiciary. Accordingly, on 21 April 2009, he was created Baron Collins of Mapesbury, of Hampstead Town
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
in the London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
, and was introduced in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on 28 April 2009. On 1 October 2009 he and nine other Lords of Appeal became Justices
Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom are the judges of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom other than the President and Deputy President. The Supreme Court is the highest in the United Kingdom for civil matters, and for criminal matters from England and Wales and Northern Ireland...
of the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the supreme court in all matters under English law, Northern Ireland law and Scottish civil law. It is the court of last resort and highest appellate court in the United Kingdom; however the High Court of Justiciary remains the supreme court for criminal...
upon that body's inauguration.
He has been a Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge
Wolfson College, Cambridge
Wolfson College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Wolfson is one of a small number of Cambridge colleges which admit only students over the age of 21. The majority of students at the college are postgraduates, with around 15% studying undergraduate...
, since 1975, and became a Fellow of the British Academy in 1994. He is a member of the Institut de droit international
Institut de droit international
The Institut de droit international is an organization devoted to the study and development of international law, whose membership comprises the world's leading public international lawyers...
. He has been the general edi tor of Dicey & Morris, the standard reference work on conflict of laws
Conflict of laws
Conflict of laws is a set of procedural rules that determines which legal system and which jurisdiction's applies to a given dispute...
, since 1987, and it was retitled Dicey, Morris and Collins in its 14th edition, published in 2006. He is also the author of many other books and articles on private international law. He became a Bencher
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
of 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 2001.
Significant judgements
- HJ and HT v Home SecretaryHJ and HT v Home SecretaryHJ and HT v Secretary of State for the Home Department 2010] UKSC 31 is a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom concerning two men, from Iran and Cameroon respectively, claiming asylum in the United Kingdom on the grounds of their homosexuality...
[2010] UKSC 31: homosexuality in asylumRight of asylumRight of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
claims - R v Bentley (Derek) [1999] posthumous overturning of unsafe murder conviction
External links
- Photograph from Downing College