Bruce Campbell (barrister)
Encyclopedia
Bruce Campbell QC (25 October 1916 – 1990) was a New Zealand
-born British
lawyer, judge and politician. As a barrister
, he specialised in divorce law, and during a brief Parliamentary career he also concentrated on family law
issues. His term in office as a judge ended in scandal and enforced removal from office.
, New Zealand and attended Christchurch Technical College and Canterbury University. He moved to London
in the late 1930s to undertake postgraduate training at the University of London
. When his course was over in 1941 he was given an officer's commission in the Royal Army Service Corps
; he served in North Africa and Italy.
. He practised in divorce law, usually on the North-Western circuit, and served on the General Council of the Bar from 1956 to 1960 and from 1965 to 1970. He was made a Queen's Counsel
in 1964.
, Campbell fought the seat of Manchester Gorton
at the 1955 general election
. He fought Oldham West
in the 1966 election
, and when the sitting Labour MP Leslie Hale
announced his retirement due to ill health, Campbell was a natural choice for the local Conservative Association. The byelection campaign
took place at a time when the Labour government of Harold Wilson
was unpopular and Campbell criticised the government for cutting back on the motorway programmes and for their incomes policy
. Many senior Conservatives travelled to Oldham to support Campbell, as a victory was thought possible.
payments. Using his legal experience, Campbell attacked divorce reform for allowing men to take advantage of their own wrong; he supported the idea of consensual divorce without the need to prove fault.
by 1,675 votes, and returned to the Bar (he had practised occasionally while a Member of Parliament
). He was Master of the Bench of the Inner Temple in that year, and two years later was appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court. In January 1976, Campbell's sentence of a 31-year-old mother of a two-month old baby to six months' imprisonment was attacked by the mother's MP Robert Kilroy-Silk
. Despite the controversy, Campbell became a Circuit Judge later that year.
by Customs, who removed 10 cases of whisky, 9,460 cigarettes and 500 grams of tobacco on which duty had not been paid. Campbell and the yacht's joint owner (a secondhand car dealer) were tried for evading duty; when initially questioned Campbell claimed he had not brought the goods into the country and that they were only for his personal use, but he later admitted that they had been bought in Guernsey
. On 29 November he pleaded guilty and was fined £2,000; on 5 December the Lord Chancellor
Lord Hailsham
removed him from office for misbehaviour, an unprecedented sanction. There was a political row when Hailsham allowed Campbell to keep his judge's pension.
He died in Canterbury
, Kent
in 1990 aged 75.
Campbell's older son Andrew followed the legal profession and has been a Circuit Judge since 2004.
Campbell's younger son Richard is the British actor Richard Campbell
http://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/5012-0161-3535
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
-born British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
lawyer, judge and politician. As a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, he specialised in divorce law, and during a brief Parliamentary career he also concentrated on family law
Family law
Family law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including:*the nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships;...
issues. His term in office as a judge ended in scandal and enforced removal from office.
Early life
Campbell was born in ChristchurchChristchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand and attended Christchurch Technical College and Canterbury University. He moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the late 1930s to undertake postgraduate training at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. When his course was over in 1941 he was given an officer's commission in the Royal Army Service Corps
Royal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
; he served in North Africa and Italy.
Legal career
On demobilisation Campbell was called to the bar at the Inner TempleInner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
. He practised in divorce law, usually on the North-Western circuit, and served on the General Council of the Bar from 1956 to 1960 and from 1965 to 1970. He was made 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 1964.
By-election candidate
An active member of the Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, Campbell fought the seat of Manchester Gorton
Manchester Gorton (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester, Gorton is a parliamentary constituency in the city of Manchester, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-1885–1918:...
at the 1955 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
. He fought Oldham West
Oldham West (UK Parliament constituency)
Oldham West was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Oldham in the north-west of Greater Manchester. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in the 1966 election
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
, and when the sitting Labour MP Leslie Hale
Leslie Hale, Baron Hale
Charles Leslie Hale, Baron Hale was a British Liberal Party then Labour Party politician.-Background:Hale was the son of Benjamin George Hale, a managing director. He went to the Ashby Grammar School and trained to be a solicitor in Leicester...
announced his retirement due to ill health, Campbell was a natural choice for the local Conservative Association. The byelection campaign
Oldham West by-election, 1968
The Oldham West by-election for the British House of Commons took place on 13 June 1968, at a time when the Labour government of Harold Wilson was deeply unpopular. The election was caused by the resignation of Labour Member of Parliament Charles Leslie Hale for reasons of ill health...
took place at a time when the Labour government of Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
was unpopular and Campbell criticised the government for cutting back on the motorway programmes and for their incomes policy
Incomes policy
Incomes policies in economics are economy-wide wage and price controls, most commonly instituted as a response to inflation, and usually below market level.Incomes policies have often been resorted to during wartime...
. Many senior Conservatives travelled to Oldham to support Campbell, as a victory was thought possible.
Parliament
When the constituency polled on 13 June 1968, Campbell managed a 17.7% swing and won the seat with a majority of 3,311. His maiden speech on 1 November concentrated on the problem of housing in his constituency. He was lucky in the ballot for Private Members' Bills later that month and introduced a Bill to award state pensions to some widows who did not qualify due to insufficient National InsuranceNational Insurance
National Insurance in the United Kingdom was initially a contributory system of insurance against illness and unemployment, and later also provided retirement pensions and other benefits...
payments. Using his legal experience, Campbell attacked divorce reform for allowing men to take advantage of their own wrong; he supported the idea of consensual divorce without the need to prove fault.
Judicial career
Campbell lost his seat at the 1970 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
by 1,675 votes, and returned to the Bar (he had practised occasionally while a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
). He was Master of the Bench of the Inner Temple in that year, and two years later was appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court. In January 1976, Campbell's sentence of a 31-year-old mother of a two-month old baby to six months' imprisonment was attacked by the mother's MP Robert Kilroy-Silk
Robert Kilroy-Silk
Robert Michael Kilroy-Silk is an English former politician, former independent Member of the European Parliament, and former television presenter, best known for his daytime talk show Kilroy. He has been a university lecturer and Labour Party Member of Parliament...
. Despite the controversy, Campbell became a Circuit Judge later that year.
Scandal
In 1983, Campbell's motor cruiser Papyrus was detained at RamsgateRamsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
by Customs, who removed 10 cases of whisky, 9,460 cigarettes and 500 grams of tobacco on which duty had not been paid. Campbell and the yacht's joint owner (a secondhand car dealer) were tried for evading duty; when initially questioned Campbell claimed he had not brought the goods into the country and that they were only for his personal use, but he later admitted that they had been bought in Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
. On 29 November he pleaded guilty and was fined £2,000; on 5 December the Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
Lord Hailsham
Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone
For the businessman and philanthropist, see Quintin Hogg Quintin McGarel Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone, KG, CH, PC, QC, FRS , formerly 2nd Viscount Hailsham , was a British politician who was known for the longevity of his career, the vigour with which he campaigned for the Conservative...
removed him from office for misbehaviour, an unprecedented sanction. There was a political row when Hailsham allowed Campbell to keep his judge's pension.
He died in Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in 1990 aged 75.
Campbell's older son Andrew followed the legal profession and has been a Circuit Judge since 2004.
Campbell's younger son Richard is the British actor Richard Campbell
http://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/5012-0161-3535