Robert Reed, Lord Reed
Encyclopedia
Robert John Reed, Lord Reed is a Scottish
lawyer and has been a Senator of the College of Justice
, a judge of the country's supreme courts
, since 1998. He sat as the principal judge in the Commercial Court before being promoted to the Inner House
of the Court of Session
in 2008, and has sat as a substitute judge at the UK Supreme Court
. He is an authority on human rights law
in Scotland, and serves as one of the UK's ad hoc judges at the European Court of Human Rights
.
George Watson's College
in Edinburgh
, and studied at the School of Law
of the University of Edinburgh
, taking a First Class Honours LL.B. and winning a Vans Dunlop Scholarship. He then took a D.Phil. at Balliol College
, Oxford
, and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates
in 1983.
from 1989 to 1995. He was appointed Queen's Counsel
in 1995, and Advocate Depute in 1996. He was appointed a Senator of the College of Justice
, a judge of the Court of Session
and High Court of Justiciary
, the country's Supreme Courts
, in 1998, with the judicial title, Lord Reed. He sat initially as a Judge of the Outer House
, becoming Principal Commercial Judge in 2006. He is one of the United Kingdom's ad hoc judges at the European Court of Human Rights
, and sat in the Grand Chamber judgements on the appeals of the killers of James Bulger
in 1999. Between 2002 and 2004, he was an expert advisor to the EU/Council of Europe
Joint Initiative with Turkey. He was promoted to the Inner House
(First Division) in 2008, and appointed to the Privy Council. He sat on the Bench of the UK Supreme Court
during the illness of Lord Rodger of Earlsferry
, along with Lord Clarke
, and has been cited by legal commentator Joshua Rozenberg
as a possible candidate to succeed Lord Rodger. The selection committee was established on 25 July 2011.
He has been Chairman of the Franco-British Judicial Co-operation Committee since 2005, and was President of the EU Forum of Judges for the Environment from 2006–08, now serving as Vice-President. He was a member of the Advisory Board of the British Institute for International and Comparative Law from 2001 to 06, and of the UN Task Force on Access to Justice since 2006. He is Convener of the charity, Children in Scotland (2006–), and Chairman of the University of Edinburgh Centre for Commercial Law (2008–). He has been an Honorary Professor of Law at Glasgow Caledonian University
since 2005, and the School of Law
of the University of Glasgow
since 2006.
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...
lawyer and has been a Senator of the College of Justice
Senator of the College of Justice
The Senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of Senator: Lords of Session ; Lords Commissioner of Justiciary ; and the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court...
, a judge of the country's supreme courts
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...
, since 1998. He sat as the principal judge in the Commercial Court before being promoted to the Inner House
Inner House
The Inner House is the senior part of the Court of Session, the supreme civil court in Scotland; the Outer House forms the junior part of the Court of Session. It is a court of appeal and a court of first instance...
of the Court of Session
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....
in 2008, and has sat as a substitute judge at the UK 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...
. He is an authority on human rights law
European Convention on Human Rights
The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
in Scotland, and serves as one of the UK's ad hoc judges at the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
.
Early life
Reed was educated at the independentIndependent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
George Watson's College
George Watson's College
George Watson's College, known informally as Watson's, is a co-educational independent day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a hospital school in 1741, became a day school in 1871 and was merged with its sister school...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and studied at the School of Law
University of Edinburgh School of Law
The University of Edinburgh School of Law, founded in 1707, is a school within the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, dedicated to research and teaching in law. Known today as Edinburgh Law School, it is located in the historic Old College, the original site of the University...
of 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...
, taking a First Class Honours LL.B. and winning a Vans Dunlop Scholarship. He then took a D.Phil. at 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...
, and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates
Faculty of Advocates
The Faculty of Advocates is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary...
in 1983.
Legal career
Reed served as Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Education Department from 1988 to 1989, and to the Scottish Office Home and Health DepartmentScottish Office
The Scottish Office was a department of the United Kingdom Government from 1885 until 1999, exercising a wide range of government functions in relation to Scotland under the control of the Secretary of State for Scotland...
from 1989 to 1995. 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...
in 1995, and Advocate Depute in 1996. He was appointed a Senator of the College of Justice
Senator of the College of Justice
The Senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of Senator: Lords of Session ; Lords Commissioner of Justiciary ; and the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court...
, a judge of the Court of Session
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....
and High Court of Justiciary
High Court of Justiciary
The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court of Scotland.The High Court is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal. As a court of first instance, the High Court sits mainly in Parliament House, or in the former Sheriff Court building, in Edinburgh, but also sits from time...
, the country's Supreme Courts
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...
, in 1998, with the judicial title, Lord Reed. He sat initially as a Judge of the Outer House
Outer House
The Outer House is one of the two parts of the Scottish Court of Session, which is the supreme civil court in Scotland. It is a court of first instance, although some statutory appeals are remitted to it by the other more senior part, the Inner House...
, becoming Principal Commercial Judge in 2006. He is one of the United Kingdom's ad hoc judges at the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
, and sat in the Grand Chamber judgements on the appeals of the killers of James Bulger
Murder of James Bulger
James Patrick Bulger was a boy from Kirkby, England, who was murdered on 12 February 1993, when aged two. He was abducted, tortured and murdered by two ten-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables .Bulger disappeared from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, near Liverpool, while...
in 1999. Between 2002 and 2004, he was an expert advisor to the EU/Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
Joint Initiative with Turkey. He was promoted to the Inner House
Inner House
The Inner House is the senior part of the Court of Session, the supreme civil court in Scotland; the Outer House forms the junior part of the Court of Session. It is a court of appeal and a court of first instance...
(First Division) in 2008, and appointed to the Privy Council. He sat on the Bench of the UK 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...
during the illness of Lord Rodger of Earlsferry
Alan Rodger, Baron Rodger of Earlsferry
Alan Ferguson Rodger, Baron Rodger of Earlsferry, FRSE, FBA, PC was a Scottish lawyer and Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom....
, along with Lord Clarke
Matthew Clarke, Lord Clarke
Matthew Gerald Clarke, Lord Clarke is a Senator of the College of Justice, a judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland, sitting in the High Court of Justiciary and the Inner House of the Court of Session.-Early life:...
, and has been cited by legal commentator Joshua Rozenberg
Joshua Rozenberg
Joshua Rozenberg is a British legal commentator and journalist.After taking a law degree at Wadham College, University of Oxford, he qualified as a solicitor in 1976, at Dixon Ward solicitors in Richmond, Surrey....
as a possible candidate to succeed Lord Rodger. The selection committee was established on 25 July 2011.
He has been Chairman of the Franco-British Judicial Co-operation Committee since 2005, and was President of the EU Forum of Judges for the Environment from 2006–08, now serving as Vice-President. He was a member of the Advisory Board of the British Institute for International and Comparative Law from 2001 to 06, and of the UN Task Force on Access to Justice since 2006. He is Convener of the charity, Children in Scotland (2006–), and Chairman of the University of Edinburgh Centre for Commercial Law (2008–). He has been an Honorary Professor of Law at Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow Caledonian University is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland.The university was constituted by an Act of Parliament on 1 April 1993 as a result of a merger between Glasgow Polytechnic and The Queen's College, Glasgow....
since 2005, and the School of Law
University of Glasgow School of Law
The School of Law at the University of Glasgow provides undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Law, and awards the degrees of Bachelor of Laws , Master of Laws , Master of Science , Master of Research and Doctor of Philosophy , the degree of Doctor of Laws...
of the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
since 2006.