Arnold W. G. Kean is most noted for his contribution to the development of civil aviation law.

Early life

He was born in Salford, in Lancashire, England, on September 29, 1914. Educated at Blackpool Grammar School, Kean read law at Queens' College, Cambridge

Queens' College, Cambridge

Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...

 where he was President of the Union and took a double first. He then won a Commonwealth Fund Fellowship and continued his studies at Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...

. He returned to England in 1938 and was called to the Bar with a certificate of honor in 1939.

War Years

Rejected for active service, he spent the war years as a lawyer for the British Purchasing Commission in New York and Washington, obtaining American supplies for the war

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 effort.

The Treasury

Shortly after the War ended he returned to London and entered the Treasury Solicitor's Department, working first for the Ministry of Transport and eventually retiring as Legal Adviser and Secretary to the Civil Aviation Authority. He died in Harrow, England,on January 18, 2000.

His career

His principal work, to which he devoted 40 years of his professional life, was the orderly development of civil aviation law. He played a significant role in the preparation of international conventions to combat hijacking and the criminal use of plastic explosives and was instrumental in the drafting of countless agreements to prevent offensive acts affecting aviation and to regulate the leasing and chartering of planes. He lectured in international law at University College London

University College London

University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...

, (of which he was an Honorary Fellow) and abroad, educating an entire generation of specialists, and also to civil servants on the functions of the legal branch of the civil service at the Civil Service College, Sunningdale.

After retirement, Kean served as a member and President of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal and assisted a number of developing states in drafting their air laws. A witty and entertaining lecturer with interests in classical music, stamps, and gardening, he held many prestigious appointments, awards and offices throughout his distinguished career. He was awarded the CBE

Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

 in 1977, the Edward Warner Award

Edward Warner Award

The Edward Warner Award is an award that's given in the field of aviation to aviation pioneers or organizations that have contributed to civil aviation. The award is named after Dr. Edward Pearson Warner, the first President of the council of ICAO....

, the highest honor in civil aviation, and the King Christian X Liberation Medal for wartime services to Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

.