List of University of Oxford people in the law
Lords of Appeal in Ordinary ( Law Lords )
Table:
Name

College

Years at Oxford

Notes

Ref

Cyril Asquith, Baron Asquith of Bishopstone

Balliol

–1913

Elected Fellow of Magdalen College in 1913; appointed a Law Lord in 1951

[29]

James Atkin, Baron Atkin

Magdalen

1884–

appointed a Law Lord in 1928

[30]

Charles Bowen, Baron Bowen

Balliol

1853–1857

Elected Fellow (whilst still an undergraduate) in 1857; appointed a Law Lord in 1893

[31]

Nicholas Browne-Wilkinson, Baron Browne-Wilkinson

Magdalen

Appointed a Law Lord in 1991

Horace Davey, Baron Davey

University

1852–1856

Fellow of University College 1856–1864; appointed a Law Lord in 1894

[32]

Edmund Davies, Baron Edmund-Davies

Exeter

Appointed a Law Lord in 1966

Alfred Thompson Denning, Baron Denning

Magdalen

1916–1920 (Mathematics), 1921–1922 (Law)

Degree interrupted by war service 1917–1919. Appointed a Law Lord in 1957; Master of the Rolls 1962–1982

[33]

Kenneth Diplock, Baron Diplock

University

Appointed a Law Lord in 1968

[34]

Robert Goff, Baron Goff of Chieveley

New College

High Steward of Oxford University

Leonard Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann

The Queen's

Stowell Fellow, University College

Brian Hutton, Baron Hutton

Balliol

Geoffrey Lawrence, 1st Baron Oaksey

New College

–1903

Appointed a Law Lord in 1947

[35]

Michael Nolan, Baron Nolan

Wadham

Appointed a Law Lord in 1994

Wilfrid Normand, Baron Normand

Oriel

1902–1906

Lord President of the Court of Session 1935–1947; appointed a Law Lord in 1947.

[36]

Cyril Radcliffe, 1st Viscount Radcliffe

New College and All Souls

1919–1921 (New), 1922–1937 (Fellow of All Souls)

Appointed a Law Lord (direct from the bar) in 1949

[37]

Leslie Scarman, Baron Scarman

Brasenose

Appointed a Law Lord in 1977

Donald Somervell, Baron Somervell of Harrow

Magdalen and All Souls

1907–1911 (Magdalen), 1912– (Fellow of All Souls)

First chemistry graduate to be elected a Fellow of All Souls. Solicitor General 1933–1936, Attorney General 1936–1945, appointed a Law Lord in 1954

[38]

Johan Steyn, Baron Steyn

University

Appointed a Law Lord in 2005

Richard Wilberforce, Baron Wilberforce

New College and All Souls

–1930 (New), 1932–2003 (All Souls)

Appointed a Law Lord in 1964 (direct from High Court). High Steward of Oxford University 1967–1990

[39][40]

From the given table as well as the supporting evidence provided at the end.

Solve the question: What is the name of the person whose college has the 3rd highest average Norrington Table ranking over the previous decade ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.

Cyril Asquith , Baron Asquith of Bishopstone , PC ( 5 February 1890 - 24 August 1954 ) was an English barrister and judge who served as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1951 until his death three years later . The youngest child of British prime minister H. H. Asquith by his first wife , Cyril Asquith followed the steps of his father and eldest brother into a distinguished academic career at Balliol College , Oxford , before serving in the British Army during the First World War . After the war he practised , with modest success , at the common law bar until 1938 , when he was appointed to the High Court . He was promoted to the Court of Appeal in 1946 and to the House of Lords in 1951 . The same year he was offered the Lord Chancellorship by Winston Churchill , but declined the post . Asquith was widely regarded as possessing one of the finest minds on the bench , although his rapid rise , after an unremarkable career at the bar , was the cause for some adverse comment . According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , his career was an undistinguished - although extraordinarily lucky one .
Balliol College ( /ˈbeɪliəl/ ) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England . One of Oxford 's oldest colleges , it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol , a rich landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham , who provided the foundation and endowment for the college . When de Balliol died in 1269 his widow , Dervorguilla , a woman whose wealth far exceeded that of her husband , continued his work in setting up the college , providing a further endowment , and writing the statutes . She is considered a co - founder of the college . The college 's alumni include the incumbent Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , Boris Johnson , as well as three former prime ministers ( H. H. Asquith , who once described Balliol men as possessing the tranquil consciousness of an effortless superiority , Harold Macmillan , and Edward Heath ) , Harald V of Norway , Empress Masako of Japan , five Nobel laureates , and numerous literary and philosophical figures , including Adam Smith , Gerard Manley Hopkins , and Aldous Huxley . John Wycliffe , who translated the Bible into English , was Master of the college in the 1360s .
James Richard Atkin , Baron Atkin , PC , FBA ( 28 November 1867 - 25 June 1944 ) , known as Dick Atkin , was a lawyer and judge of Irish , Welsh and Australian origin , who practised in England and Wales . He always thought of himself as a New South Welshman , and was President of the London Welsh Trust from 1938 to 1944 .
Magdalen College ( /ˈmɔːdlɪn/ MAWD-lin ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford . It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete . Today , it is one of the wealthiest colleges , with a financial endowment of £273.2 million as of 2018 , and one of the strongest academically , setting the record for the highest Norrington Score in 2010 and topping the table twice since then . It is home to several of the University 's distinguished chairs , including the Agnelli-Serena Professorship , the Sherardian Professorship , and the four Waynflete Professorships . The large , square Magdalen Tower is an Oxford landmark , and it is a tradition , dating to the days of Henry VII , that the college choir sings from the top of it at 6 a.m. on May Morning . The college stands next to the River Cherwell and the Oxford botanic garden , and within its grounds has a deer park and Addison 's Walk .
Charles Synge Christopher Bowen , Baron Bowen , PC , FRS ( 1 January 1835 - 10 April 1894 ) was an English judge .
Nicolas Christopher Henry Browne-Wilkinson , Baron Browne-Wilkinson , PC ( 30 March 1930 - 25 July 2018 ) was a British judge who served as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1991 to 2000 , and Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1998 to 2000 .
Horace Davey , Baron Davey , PC , FRS , FBA ( 30 August 1833 - 20 February 1907 ) was an English judge and Liberal politician .
University College ( in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford , colloquially referred to as Univ ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England . It has a claim to being the oldest college of the university , having been founded in 1249 by William of Durham . As of 2018 , the college had an estimated financial endowment of £132.7m . The college is associated with a number of influential people . Notable alumni include Clement Attlee , Harold Wilson , Bill Clinton , Neil Gorsuch , Stephen Hawking , C. S. Lewis , V. S. Naipaul and Percy Bysshe Shelley .
Herbert Edmund Edmund-Davies , Baron Edmund-Davies of Aberpennar , PC ( 15 July 1906 - 26 December 1992 ) was a British judge .
Alfred Thompson Tom Denning , Baron Denning , OM , PC , DL ( 23 January 1899 - 5 March 1999 ) was an English lawyer and judge . He was called to the bar of England and Wales in 1923 , and became a King 's Counsel in 1938 . Denning became a judge in 1944 with an appointment to the Probate , Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice , and transferred to the King 's Bench Division in 1945 . He was made a Lord Justice of Appeal in 1948 after less than five years in the High Court . He became a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in 1957 and after five years in the House of Lords returned to the Court of Appeal as Master of the Rolls in 1962 , a position he held for twenty years . In retirement he wrote several books and continued to offer opinions on the state of the common law through his writing and his position in the House of Lords . Margaret Thatcher said that Denning was probably the greatest English judge of modern times . Mark Garnett and Richard Weight argue that he was a conservative Christian who remained popular with morally conservative Britons who were dismayed at the postwar rise in crime and who , like him , believed that the duties of the individual were being forgotten in the clamour for rights . He had a more punitive than redemptive view of criminal justice , as a result of which he was a vocal supporter of corporal and capital punishment . Though he changed his stance on capital punishment in later life . Denning was one of the most publicly known judges thanks to his report on the Profumo affair . He was noted for his bold judgments running counter to the law at the time .
The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England , known as the Master of the Rolls , is the President of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales , Civil Division , and Head of Civil Justice . As a judge , he is the second in seniority in England and Wales only to the Lord Chief Justice . The position dates from at least 1286 , although it is believed that the office probably existed earlier than that . The Master of the Rolls was initially a clerk responsible for keeping the Rolls or records of the Court of Chancery , and was known as the Keeper of the Rolls of Chancery . The Keeper was the most senior of the dozen Chancery clerks , and as such occasionally acted as keeper of the Great Seal of the Realm . The post evolved into a judicial one as the Court of Chancery did ; the first reference to judicial duties dates from 1520 . With the Judicature Act 1873 , which merged the Court of Chancery with the other major courts , the Master of the Rolls joined the Chancery Division of the High Court and the Court of Appeal , but left the Chancery Division by the terms of the Judicature Act 1881 . The Master of the Rolls had also been warden of the little-used Domus Conversorum for housing Jewish converts , which led to the house and chapel being used to store legal documents and later becoming the location of the Public Record Office . He retained his clerical functions as the nominal head of the Public Record Office until the Public Records Act 1958 transferred responsibility for it to the Lord Chancellor . One residual reminder of this role is the fact that the Master of the Rolls of the day continues to serve , ex officio , as President of the British Records Association . The Master of the Rolls was also previously responsible for registering solicitors , the officers of the Senior Courts . One of the most prominent people to hold the position was Thomas Cromwell , a highly influential figure during the reign of Henry VIII ; more recently , Lord Denning held the position for 20 years , from 1962 to 1982 , and made sweeping changes in the common law .
William John Kenneth Diplock , Baron Diplock , PC ( 8 December 1907 - 14 October 1985 ) was a British judge and Law Lord .
Robert Lionel Archibald Goff , Baron Goff of Chieveley , PC FBA ( /ɡɔːf/ ) ( 12 November 1926 - 14 August 2016 ) was an English barrister and judge who was Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary , the equivalent of today 's President of the Supreme Court . Best known for establishing unjust enrichment as a branch of English law , he has been described by Andrew Burrows as the greatest judge of modern times . Goff was the original co-author of Goff & Jones , the leading authoritative English law textbook on restitution and unjust enrichment , first published in 1966 . He practised as a commercial barrister from 1951 to 1975 , following which he began his career as a judge . He was appointed to the House of Lords in 1986 . Goff was born in his mother 's family home in Perthshire , Scotland and was raised in Hampshire , England . He obtained a place at New College , Oxford but was called up in December 1944 and served in the Scots Guards in Italy until going to Oxford in October 1948 . He earned a First-Class degree in Jurisprudence there , and three weeks after receiving his examination results was offered a fellowship at Oxford . He accepted this on condition that he could be called to the Bar first . He was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1951 , and appointed Fellow and Tutor at Lincoln College , Oxford and a University Lecturer in Jurisprudence in 1952 . He was High Steward of the University of Oxford from 1991 to 2001 . As one of the few early academics-turned-judges , Goff long advocated a complementary view of the role of the legal academic and judge .
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom . Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham , the full name of the college is St Mary 's College of Winchester in Oxford . The name New College , however , soon came to be used following its completion in 1386 to distinguish it from the older existing college of St Mary , now known as Oriel College . In 2017 , the college ranked first in the Norrington Table , a table assessing the relative performance of Oxford 's undergraduates in final examinations . Historically , it has been ranked highly . It has the 3rd highest average Norrington Table ranking over the previous decade . The college is between Holywell Street and New College Lane ( known for Oxford 's Bridge of Sighs ) , next to All Souls College , Harris Manchester College , Hertford College , The Queen 's College and St Edmund Hall . The college 's sister college is King 's College , Cambridge . The college is one of the main choral foundations of the University of Oxford . The college choir is regarded as one of the leading choirs of the world , and has recorded over one hundred albums ; it has been awarded two Gramophone Awards . Like many of Oxford 's colleges , New College admitted its first mixed-sex cohort in 1979 , after six centuries as an institution for men only .
The High Steward in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge ( sometimes erroneously known as the Lord High Steward ) is a university official . Originally a deputy for the Chancellor , the office of High Steward had by the 18th century undergone the same evolution and become a position by which the universities honoured prominent external figures . The High Stewards still retain some functions relating to adjudication in disputes , appeals , and deputizing if there is a vacancy in the Chancellorship . In Oxford , the office of High Steward is now more similar to the office of Commissary in Cambridge . In Cambridge , the High Steward is elected by the members of the University Senate voting in person , one of that body 's few remaining functions , and holds office until he or she voluntarily resigns or until the Senate otherwise determines . The Deputy High Steward is appointed by the High Steward by Letters Patent . The High Steward and the Deputy High Steward perform such duties as have heretofore been customary and any duties prescribed by Statute or Ordinance . When the office of High Steward is vacant the duties of that office are performed by the Deputy High Steward . In Oxford , the High Steward is appointed by the Chancellor of the University .
Leonard Hubert Lennie Hoffmann , Baron Hoffmann , PC , GBS ( born 8 May 1934 ) is a retired senior South African-British judge . He served as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1995 to 2009 . Well known for his lively decisions and willingness to break with convention , he has had an especially large impact on the interpretation of contracts , shareholder actions in UK company law , in restricting tort liability for public authorities , human rights and intellectual property law , in particular patents . He was also a Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong .
The Queen 's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford , England . The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield ( d'Eglesfield ) in honour of Queen Philippa of Hainault ( wife of King Edward III of England ) . It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture , which includes buildings designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor . In 2018 , the college had an endowment of £291 million , making it the fourth-wealthiest college ( after St. John 's , Christ Church and All Souls ) .
James Brian Edward Hutton , Baron Hutton , PC ( born 29 June 1932 ) is a British former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland and Lord of Appeal in Ordinary .
Geoffrey Lawrence , 3rd Baron Trevethin , 1st Baron Oaksey , DSO , PC , DL , TD ( 2 December 1880 - 28 August 1971 ) was the main British judge during the Nuremberg trials after World War II , and President of the Judicial group .
Michael Patrick Nolan , Baron Nolan , PC , DL ( 10 September 1928 - 22 January 2007 ) was a judge in the United Kingdom , and from 1994 until 1997 was the first chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life . In the words of his obituary in The Guardian , Lord Nolan . made a profound mark on national life by substantially cleansing the Augean stable of corrupt politics as founding chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life .
Wadham College ( /ˈwɒdəm/ ) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom . It is located in the centre of Oxford , at the intersection of Broad Street and Parks Road . Wadham College was founded in 1610 by Dorothy Wadham , according to the will of her late husband Nicholas Wadham ( 1531-1609 ) , a member of an ancient Devon and Somerset family . The central buildings , a notable example of Jacobean architecture , were designed by the architect William Arnold and erected between 1610 and 1613 . They include a large and ornate Hall . Adjacent to the central buildings are the Wadham Gardens . Amongst Wadham 's most famous alumni is Sir Christopher Wren . Wren was one of a brilliant group of experimental scientists at Oxford in the 1650s , the Oxford Philosophical Club , which included Robert Boyle and Robert Hooke . This group held regular meetings at Wadham College under the guidance of the warden , John Wilkins , and the group formed the nucleus which went on to found the Royal Society . Wadham is a liberal and progressive college which aims to maintain the diversity of its student body and a friendly atmosphere . Founded as a men 's college , in 1974 it was among the first become coeducational , and the college has a strong reputation as a promoter of gay rights . In 2011 it became the first Oxford college to fly the rainbow flag as part of queer week , a celebration of sexual diversity and individuality .
Wilfrid Guild Normand , Baron Normand , PC ( 1884 - 5 October 1962 ) , was a Scottish Unionist Party politician and judge . He was a Scottish law officer at various stages between 1929 and 1935 , and a Member of Parliament ( MP ) from 1931 to 1935 . He was Lord President of the Court of Session from 1935 until he became a Law Lord 1947 .
Oriel College ( /ˈɔːrɪəl/ ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford , England . Located in Oriel Square , the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford ( a title formerly claimed by University College , whose claim of being founded by King Alfred is no longer promoted ) . In recognition of this royal connection , the college has also been known as King 's College and King 's Hall . The reigning monarch of the United Kingdom ( since 1952 , Elizabeth II ) is the official Visitor of the college . The original medieval foundation set up by Adam de Brome , under the patronage of Edward II , was called the House or Hall of the Blessed Mary at Oxford . The first design allowed for a provost and ten fellows , called scholars , and the college remained a small body of graduate fellows until the 16th century , when it started to admit undergraduates . During the English Civil War , Oriel played host to high-ranking members of the King 's Oxford Parliament . The main site of the college incorporates four medieval halls : Bedel Hall , St Mary Hall , St Martin Hall and Tackley 's Inn , the last being the earliest property acquired by the college and the oldest standing medieval hall in Oxford . The college has nearly 40 fellows , about 300 undergraduates and some 250 graduates . Oriel was the last of Oxford 's men 's colleges to admit women in 1985 , after more than six centuries as an all-male institution . Today , however , the student body has almost equal numbers of men and women . Oriel 's notable alumni include two Nobel laureates ; prominent fellows have included founders of the Oxford Movement .
The Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General is the most senior judge in Scotland , the head of the judiciary , and the presiding judge of the College of Justice , the Court of Session , and the High Court of Justiciary . The Lord President holds the title of Lord Justice General of Scotland and the head of the High Court of Justiciary ex officio , as the two offices were combined in 1836 . The Lord President has authority over any court established under Scots law , except for the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the Court of the Lord Lyon . The current Lord President of the Court of Session is Lord Carloway , who was appointed to the position on 18 December 2015 . They are paid according to Salary Group 1.1 of the Judicial Salaries Scale , which in 2016 was £222,862 .
Cyril John Radcliffe , 1st Viscount Radcliffe , GBE , PC , QC , FBA ( 30 March 1899 - 1 April 1977 ) was a British lawyer and Law Lord best known for his role in the partition of British India . He served as the first chancellor of the University of Warwick from its foundation in 1965 to 1977 .
All Souls College ( official name : College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England . Unique to All Souls , all of its members automatically become fellows ( i.e . full members of the college 's governing body ) . It has no undergraduate members , but each year recent graduate and postgraduate students at Oxford are eligible to apply for examination fellowships through a competitive examination ( once described as the hardest exam in the world ) and , for the several shortlisted after the examinations , an interview . All Souls is one of the wealthiest colleges in Oxford , with a financial endowment of £420.2 million ( 2018 ) . However , since the college 's principal source of revenue is its endowment , as of 2007 it only ranked 19th among Oxford colleges in total income . All Souls is a registered charity under English law . The college is located on the north side of the High Street adjoining Radcliffe Square to the west . To the east is The Queen 's College with Hertford College to the north . The current warden ( head of the college ) is Sir John Vickers , a graduate of Oriel College , Oxford .
Leslie George Scarman , Baron Scarman , OBE , PC ( 29 July 1911 - 8 December 2004 ) was an English judge and barrister , who served as a Law Lord until his retirement in 1986 .
Donald Bradley Somervell , Baron Somervell of Harrow , OBE , PC ( 24 August 1889 - 18 November 1960 ) was a British barrister , judge and Conservative Party politician . He served as Solicitor General and Attorney General from 1933-45 and was briefly Home Secretary in Winston Churchill 's 1945 caretaker government .
Her Majesty 's Solicitor General for England and Wales , known informally as the Solicitor General , is one of the law officers of the Crown in the government of the United Kingdom . They are the deputy of the Attorney General , whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law . They can exercise the powers of the Attorney General in the Attorney General 's absence . There is also a Solicitor General for Scotland , who is the deputy of the Lord Advocate . As well as the Sovereign 's Solicitor General , the Prince of Wales and a Queen consort ( when the Sovereign is male ) are also entitled to have an Attorney and Solicitor General , though the present Prince of Wales has only an Attorney General and no Solicitor General . The Solicitor General is addressed in court as Mr Solicitor or Ms Solicitor . Despite the title , the position is usually held by a barrister . Michael Ellis was appointed as Solicitor General for the Johnson ministry on 26 July 2019 , replacing Lucy Frazer , who had held the post since 9 May 2019 .
Her Majesty 's Attorney General for England and Wales , usually known simply as the Attorney General ( A-G ) , is one of the Law Officers of the Crown . The Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser to the Crown and the Government in England and Wales , and though they maintain their own office , they are still subordinate to the Cabinet-level Secretary of State for Justice ( Lord Chancellor ) . The Solicitor General for England and Wales serves as the next in command and is subordinate to the Attorney General . The position of Attorney General existed since at least 1243 , when records show a professional attorney was hired to represent the King 's interests in court . The position first took on a political role in 1461 when the holder of the office was summoned to the House of Lords to advise the government there on legal matters . In 1673 the Attorney General officially became the Crown 's adviser and representative in legal matters , although still specialising in litigation rather than advice . The beginning of the twentieth century saw a shift away from litigation and more towards legal advice . Today prosecutions are carried out by the Crown Prosecution Service and most legal advice to government departments is provided by the Government Legal Service , both under the supervision of the Attorney General . The job of the Attorney General is a demanding one , and Sir Patrick Hastings wrote while serving that to be a law officer is to be in hell . Duties include superintending the Crown Prosecution Service , the Serious Fraud Office , and other government lawyers with the authority to prosecute cases . Additionally , the Attorney General superintends the Government Legal Department ( formerly the Treasury Solicitor 's Department ) , HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and the Service Prosecuting Authority . The Attorney advises the government , individual government departments and individual government ministers on legal matters , answering questions in Parliament and bringing unduly lenient sentences and points of law to the Court of Appeal of England and Wales .
Johan van Zyl Steyn , Baron Steyn , PC ( 15 August 1932 - 28 November 2017 ) was a South African-British judge , until September 2005 a Law Lord . He sat in the House of Lords as a crossbencher .
Richard Orme Wilberforce , Baron Wilberforce , CMG , OBE , PC ( 11 March 1907 - 15 February 2003 ) was a British judge . He was a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1964 to 1982 .