The legal profession has paid tribute to Lord Bingham, who died last week at the age of 76.
Lord Bingham served as a Master of the Rolls (1992-1996), Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (1996-2000) and was the first appointed Senior Law Lord (2000-2008). He was a keen advocate for the Supreme Court, and expressed regret that he retired a year before the court opened and so was unable to become its first president.
He was noted for his commitment to the rule of law and, as senior law lord, ruled that detention of foreign terror suspects breached their human rights. Upon retirement, he argued that the UK’s 2003 invasion of Iraq was illegal.
He began his career as a barrister at 2 Crown Office Row, which later moved to Fountain Court Chambers, after attending Balliol College, Oxford.
The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge said Lord Bingham was “the most respected, distinguished and admired judge of our times”.
“His contributions to our understanding of the significance of the rule of law, and the principled development of the common law, have been unequalled in our generation. Judges throughout the world will recognise Tom Bingham as one of the great jurists of this generation and one of the great common law judges.”
Shami Chakrabarti, director of human rights group, Liberty, says: “Tom Bingham was the perfect combination of intellect, integrity, humanity and humility—a very private man who became such a towering figure in legal and public life.
“As long as people anywhere fight torture and slavery; treasure free speech, fair trials, personal privacy and liberty itself—Lord Bingham will be remembered.”
