Robert Walker, Baron Walker of Gestingthorpe
Encyclopedia
Robert Walker, Baron Walker of Gestingthorpe, PC, QC
(born 17 March 1938) is an English
barrister and Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
. He also serves as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.
before going up to Trinity College, Cambridge
from where he graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Classics
and Law
. He was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn
in 1960 and became a Queen's Counsel
in 1982.
He is now the Treasurer
of Lincoln's Inn
, which post was previously held by Elizabeth Appleby.
in the Chancery Division, and as is customary was then made a Knight Bachelor
, before serving as a Lord Justice of Appeal
in 1997. He succeeded Lord Slynn of Hadley
GBE
as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
in 2002 and was created a Life Peer
as Baron Walker of Gestingthorpe, of Gestingthorpe in the County
of Essex
. It had been mooted by some at the time that a woman might have been appointed to this position, two such names in the offing being: Baroness Hale
, who was appointed to the subsequent vacancy, and Lady Justice Arden
, who remains a Lord Justice of Appeal
and whose husband is now a Law Lord (Lord Mance
). He and nine other Lords of Appeal in Ordinary became Justices
of the Supreme Court
upon that body's inauguration on 1 October 2009.
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 17 March 1938) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
barrister and 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 also serves as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.
Early life and Non-Judicial Career
Born on 17 March 1938, the son of Ronald Robert Antony Walker by his wife Mary Helen, Walker was educated at Downside SchoolDownside School
Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent school for children aged 11 to 18, located in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, between Norton Radstock and Shepton Mallet in Somerset, south west England. It is attached to Downside Abbey...
before going up to Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
from where he graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
and 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 was called to the bar at 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...
in 1960 and became a 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 1982.
He is now the Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
of 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...
, which post was previously held by Elizabeth Appleby.
Judicial career
In 1997, Walker was appointed a 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...
in the Chancery Division, and as is customary was then made a Knight Bachelor
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...
, before serving 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:...
in 1997. He succeeded Lord Slynn of Hadley
Gordon Slynn, Baron Slynn of Hadley
Gordon Slynn, Baron Slynn of Hadley, GBE, PC, QC was a British jurist specialising in European and International Law, and a former judge of the European Court of Justice and Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.-Early life:...
GBE
GBE
GBE or Gbe may refer to:* Gbe languages, a group of languages in West Africa* Gigabit ethernet, a term for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second* Government business enterprise...
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...
in 2002 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...
as Baron Walker of Gestingthorpe, of Gestingthorpe in the County
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. It had been mooted by some at the time that a woman might have been appointed to this position, two such names in the offing being: Baroness Hale
Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond
Brenda Marjorie Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond, DBE, QC, PC, FBA is a British legal academic, barrister, judge and a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom....
, who was appointed to the subsequent vacancy, and Lady Justice Arden
Mary Arden (judge)
Mary Howarth Arden, Baroness Mance, DBE , styled The Rt Hon. Lady Justice Arden, is a British judge.She was born in Liverpool. Her grandfather was a partner in Gamon Arden and Co., a Liverpool firm of solicitors. Her father and brother, Roger, joined the family firm which merged with Hill Dickinson...
, who remains 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:...
and whose husband is now a Law Lord (Lord Mance
Jonathan Mance, Baron Mance
Jonathan Hugh Mance, Baron Mance, PC is a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.-Early life:Mance was born on 6 June 1943, one of four children of Sir Henry Mance, an important figure in Lloyd's Register. Like his father, he attended Charterhouse, a boarding school in Godalming, Surrey...
). He and nine other Lords of Appeal in Ordinary 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 on 1 October 2009.
Personal life
Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe married Suzanne Diana Leggi in 1962; they have three daughters and one son.Notable judgments
- Re A (Children) (Conjoined Twins: Surgical Separation)Re A (Children) (Conjoined Twins: Surgical Separation)Re A [2001] Fam 147 was an English Court of Appeal decision on the separation of conjoined twins. The case raised several legal, ethical and religious dilemmas including whether it would be permissible to kill one of the children to save the other. and whether it was permissible to act against...
[1995] 2 AC 145 - GillettGillettGillett is the name of several places in the United States:*Gillett, Arkansas*Gillett, Wisconsin*Gillett , Wisconsin*Gillett, Texas*Gillett Grove, IowaGillett as a surname may refer to:...
v HoltHolt- Natural world :* Holt, an otter den* Holt, an occasional name for a fox den* Holt, an area of woodland, e.g. a grove or copse, especially as a place-name in Great Britain, Scandinavia, Iceland, and Germany...
[2000] 3 WLR 815 - Moore Stephens v Stone Rolls LtdMoore Stephens v Stone Rolls LtdMoore Stephens v Stone Rolls Ltd [2009] is a leading case relevant for UK company law and the law on fraud and ex turpi causa non oritur actio...
[2009] UKHL 39 - 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