Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf
Encyclopedia
Harry Kenneth Woolf, Baron Woolf, PC, FBA, , born 2 May 1933, was Master of the Rolls
from 1996 until 2000 and Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
from 2000 until 2005. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005
made him the first Lord Chief Justice to be President of the Courts of England and Wales
. He has been a non-permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong
since 2003.
, Scotland
and attended Clifton Hall School
in Newbridge, followed by Fettes College
, an Edinburgh
public school, where he mostly enjoyed his time and had supportive friends; however, being the only Jewish pupil he was teased and occasionally bullied.
Woolf formed much of his sense of justice and fairness from his experiences at Fettes College. On one occasion while combing his hair, Woolf leaned into a neighbouring dormitory cubicle to use the mirror. A prefect reported this as the school had strict rules about being in other pupils' cubicles, but Woolf felt that he had not broken the rules because he did not have his feet inside the cubicle at the time. He appealed for fairness, but his housemaster, who had been in the army, increased Woolf's punishment from six strikes of the cane to eight.
Woolf had read books about lawyers and wanted to be a barrister
. His housemaster told him that this was not a suitable career-choice for him because he had a stutter, but this only made Woolf more determined in his vocation. His A level results gained him a place at the University of Cambridge
; however, he studied law at University College London
(UCL) instead as a consequence of his parents' move to London
at about that time.
in 1955 and started working on the Oxford circuit. He became Junior Counsel to the Inland Revenue
(Common Law) from 1973 to 1974, and was First Treasury Counsel (Common Law) from 1974 to 1979. In 1979, at the age of 45 years, he was appointed as a Queen's Bench Division High Court
judge. He was promoted to Lord Justice of Appeal
in 1986 and became a Law Lord in 1992, being created a life peer
as Baron Woolf of Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond. He was Master of the Rolls
from 1996 until 2000, when he succeeded Lord Bingham of Cornhill
as Lord Chief Justice.
Woolf was outspoken in his final judicial post. In 2004, in a speech at the University of Cambridge
, he spoke out against the Constitutional Reform Act that would create a Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
to replace the House of Lords
as the final court of appeal in the United Kingdom; and severely questioned the Lord Chancellor's and the Government's handling of recent constitutional reform. He delayed his retirement as Lord Chief Justice until these issues had been resolved.
Woolf was also the head of the committee that reformed civil law and excised many of the remaining Latin
terms from English law, in an attempt to make it more accessible (such as changing the ancient word 'plaintiff' to the 'claimant'). The Civil Procedure Rules 1998
are a direct result of his work. He is a supporter of prison reform
and is patron of the Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust and an Ambassador for the Prison Advice and Care Trust
.
Woolf joined Blackstone Chambers
as a mediator and arbitrator on his retirement as Lord Chief Justice on 1 October 2005. From September to December 2005, he conducted a review of the working methods of the European Court of Human Rights
, and he is chairman of the Bank of England
Financial Markets Law Committee. He is Chairman of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
and became Chairman of the Council of UCL in 2005. He is also a visiting Professor of Law at UCL, and a member of the House of Lords Constitution Committee
. In 2006 he was appointed chairman of the Judging Panel of the FIRST
Responsible Capitalism Awards.
On 25 February 2007, Woolf was inaugurated as the first President of the Qatar Financial Centre
Civil and Commercial Court, in Doha Qatar, and on 15 June 2007, he was confirmed as the chair of an "Ethics Committee" set up by BAE Systems
, the UK's largest arms company. The committee was formed by BAE in response to allegations of multimillion pound bribery in arms deals with Saudi Arabia. In 2007 he was named as co-chair, with Professor Kaufmann-Kohler, of the Commission on Settlement in International Arbitration, for the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution
for which he also consults.
Along with Sir William Blair
, a prominent High Court Judge in England and Wales, Woolf served as the Co-Convener of the inaugural Qatar Law Forum of Global Leaders in Law
, held in Doha
, Qatar
, from 29–31 May 2009.
Among his variety of posts, Woolf has also been serving as Chancellor
of The Open University of Israel
since 2004.
, first met his wife Marguerite, a Sephardi Jew
, at a social event which was organised by a mutual friend at the National Liberal Club
. They have three sons who have all entered the legal profession.
Master of the Rolls
The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal...
from 1996 until 2000 and Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
from 2000 until 2005. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005
Constitutional Reform Act 2005
The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It provided for a Supreme Court of the United Kingdom to take over the existing role of the Law Lords as well as some powers of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, and removed the functions of Speaker of...
made him the first Lord Chief Justice to be President of the Courts of England and Wales
Courts of England and Wales
Her Majesty's Courts of Justice of England and Wales are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in England and Wales; they apply the law of England and Wales and are established under Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.The United Kingdom does not have...
. He has been a non-permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
since 2003.
Early life
Woolf was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England on 2 May 1933. His father had been a fine art dealer, but was persuaded to run his own building business instead by his wife. They had four children, but their first child died, and his mother was protective of the three surviving children. Woolf lived in Newcastle-upon-Tyne until he was about five years old, when his family moved to GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and attended Clifton Hall School
Clifton Hall School
Clifton Hall School is an independent nursery, primary and secondary school for children aged 3 to 18 years old. It is a small co-educational day school with 270 pupils.- The school :...
in Newbridge, followed by Fettes College
Fettes College
Fettes College is an independent school for boarding and day pupils in Edinburgh, Scotland with over two thirds of its pupils in residence on campus...
, an Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
public school, where he mostly enjoyed his time and had supportive friends; however, being the only Jewish pupil he was teased and occasionally bullied.
Woolf formed much of his sense of justice and fairness from his experiences at Fettes College. On one occasion while combing his hair, Woolf leaned into a neighbouring dormitory cubicle to use the mirror. A prefect reported this as the school had strict rules about being in other pupils' cubicles, but Woolf felt that he had not broken the rules because he did not have his feet inside the cubicle at the time. He appealed for fairness, but his housemaster, who had been in the army, increased Woolf's punishment from six strikes of the cane to eight.
Woolf had read books about lawyers and wanted to be 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...
. His housemaster told him that this was not a suitable career-choice for him because he had a stutter, but this only made Woolf more determined in his vocation. His A level results gained him a place at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
; however, he studied law at University College London
University College London Law Faculty
The UCL Faculty of Laws is one of the 10 constituent faculties of University College London . It is one of the world’s premier law schools, renowned for the quality of its teaching and its cutting-edge legal research...
(UCL) instead as a consequence of his parents' move 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...
at about that time.
Legal career
Woolf chose to be a barristerBarrister
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...
in 1955 and started working on the Oxford circuit. He became Junior Counsel to the Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
(Common Law) from 1973 to 1974, and was First Treasury Counsel (Common Law) from 1974 to 1979. In 1979, at the age of 45 years, he was appointed as a Queen's Bench Division High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
judge. He was promoted to 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 1986 and became a Law Lord in 1992, being 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 Woolf of Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond. He was Master of the Rolls
Master of the Rolls
The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal...
from 1996 until 2000, when he succeeded Lord Bingham of Cornhill
Thomas Bingham, Baron Bingham of Cornhill
Thomas Henry Bingham, Baron Bingham of Cornhill, KG PC QC FBA , was a British judge and jurist. He served in the highest judicial offices of the United Kingdom as Master of the Rolls, Lord Chief Justice and as Senior Law Lord before his retirement, when he focused his work as a teacher and lecturer...
as Lord Chief Justice.
Woolf was outspoken in his final judicial post. In 2004, in a speech at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, he spoke out against the Constitutional Reform Act that would create a Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
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...
to replace the House of Lords
Judicial functions of the House of Lords
The House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function, historically also had a judicial function. It functioned as a court of first instance for the trials of peers, for impeachment cases, and as a court of last resort within the United Kingdom. In the latter case the House's...
as the final court of appeal in the United Kingdom; and severely questioned the Lord Chancellor's and the Government's handling of recent constitutional reform. He delayed his retirement as Lord Chief Justice until these issues had been resolved.
Woolf was also the head of the committee that reformed civil law and excised many of the remaining Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
terms from English law, in an attempt to make it more accessible (such as changing the ancient word 'plaintiff' to the 'claimant'). The Civil Procedure Rules 1998
Civil Procedure Rules 1998
The Civil Procedure Rules are the rules of civil procedure used by the Court of Appeal, High Court of Justice, and County Courts in civil cases in England and Wales...
are a direct result of his work. He is a supporter of prison reform
Prison reform
Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system.-History:Prisons have only been used as the primary punishment for criminal acts in the last couple of centuries...
and is patron of the Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust and an Ambassador for the Prison Advice and Care Trust
Prison Advice and Care Trust
The Prison Advice and Care Trust is an independent UK charity that provides practical services for prisoners and prisoners' families. First established as the Catholic Prisoners Aid Society in 1898, pact works at several prisons across England....
.
Woolf joined Blackstone Chambers
Blackstone Chambers
Blackstone Chambers is a leading set of barristers chambers in the Temple district of central London. Established in the 1950s, it has 85 tenants, of whom 34 are Silks...
as a mediator and arbitrator on his retirement as Lord Chief Justice on 1 October 2005. From September to December 2005, he conducted a review of the working methods of the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
, and he is chairman of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
Financial Markets Law Committee. He is Chairman of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies is part of the School of Advanced Study of the University of London. It was founded in 1946 as a national academic institution to promote and advance legal research, implementing a proposal of 1934 report of the Legal Education Committee chaired by Lord Atkin...
and became Chairman of the Council of UCL in 2005. He is also a visiting Professor of Law at UCL, and a member of the House of Lords Constitution Committee
Constitution Committee (House of Lords)
The Constitution Committee is a cross-party select committee of the House of Lords, the upper chamber of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Committee’s remit is “to examine the constitutional implications of all public bills coming before the House; and to keep under review the operation of...
. In 2006 he was appointed chairman of the Judging Panel of the FIRST
First Magazine Limited
FIRST Magazine , or FIRST is a multi-disciplinary international affairs organisation based in London. The company was founded in 1984 and aims to promote communications between leaders in industry, finance and government worldwide and to promote strategic dialogue...
Responsible Capitalism Awards.
On 25 February 2007, Woolf was inaugurated as the first President of the Qatar Financial Centre
Qatar Financial Centre
Established in March 2005, The Qatar Financial Centre is a business and financial centre located in Doha, providing legal and business infrastructure for financial services...
Civil and Commercial Court, in Doha Qatar, and on 15 June 2007, he was confirmed as the chair of an "Ethics Committee" set up by BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
, the UK's largest arms company. The committee was formed by BAE in response to allegations of multimillion pound bribery in arms deals with Saudi Arabia. In 2007 he was named as co-chair, with Professor Kaufmann-Kohler, of the Commission on Settlement in International Arbitration, for the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution
Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution
Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution is a London-based mediation and alternative dispute resolution body. It was founded as a non-profit organisation in 1990, with the support of The Confederation of British Industry and a number of British businesses and law firms, to encourage the...
for which he also consults.
Along with Sir William Blair
William Blair (judge)
Sir William James Lynton Blair , styled The Hon. Mr Justice Blair, is a British judge. He was previously a Queen's Counsel, specialising in domestic and international banking and finance law...
, a prominent High Court Judge in England and Wales, Woolf served as the Co-Convener of the inaugural Qatar Law Forum of Global Leaders in Law
Qatar Law Forum of Global Leaders in Law
The Qatar Law Forum of Global Leaders in Law is a non-profit institution established under the patronage of the Government of Qatar with the purpose of bringing together prominent members of the global legal community, in addition to senior figures in the fields of economics, and politics...
, held in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, from 29–31 May 2009.
Among his variety of posts, Woolf has also been serving as Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of The Open University of Israel
Open University of Israel
The Open University of Israel is a distance-education university in Israel. , the Open University taught around 39,000 students.The Open University of Israel has more students than any other academic institution in Israel. The administration is based in the city of Ra'anana. Students from all over...
since 2004.
Selected judgments
- On 26 July 1983, Woolf's judgement in the high court, GillickGillick competenceGillick competence is a term originating in England and is used in medical law to decide whether a child is able to consent to his or her own medical treatment, without the need for parental permission or knowledge....
v West Norfolk & Wisbech AHA & DHSS [1983] 3 WLR (QBD), clarified the law under which doctors could prescribe contraception to minorsMinor (law)In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
. - On 6 February 1997, three judges, led by Woolf, Master of the Rolls, said that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology AuthorityHuman Fertilisation and Embryology AuthorityThe Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is a statutory body in the United Kingdom that regulates and inspects all UK clinics providing in vitro fertilisation, artificial insemination and the storage of human eggs, sperm or embryos. It also regulates Human Embryo research...
(HFEA) had failed to exercise discretion when it denied Diane Blood the right to have her dead husband's child in March 1995. The decision allowed Blood to have a child using her former husband's spermSpermThe term sperm is derived from the Greek word sperma and refers to the male reproductive cells. In the types of sexual reproduction known as anisogamy and oogamy, there is a marked difference in the size of the gametes with the smaller one being termed the "male" or sperm cell...
, which was obtained shortly before he died. - Pearce v United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust [1999] PIQR 53.
- In October 2000, Woolf reduced the minimum sentence of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson for the murder of James BulgerMurder of James BulgerJames Patrick Bulger was a boy from Kirkby, England, who was murdered on 12 February 1993, when aged two. He was abducted, tortured and murdered by two ten-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables .Bulger disappeared from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, near Liverpool, while...
by two years in recognition of their good behaviour and remorse shown while in detention, effectively restoring the original trial judge's eight-year recommended minimum sentence. - In July 2002, Woolf, together with Mr Justice Curtis and Mr Justice Henriques, refused Barry GeorgeBarry GeorgeBarry Michael George is a British man who was wrongly convicted on 2 July 2001 of the murder of British television presenter Jill Dando. His murder conviction was judged unsafe by the Court of Appeal and was quashed on 15 November 2007...
's first appeal against his conviction for the murder of Jill DandoJill DandoJill Wendy Dando was an English journalist, television presenter and newsreader who worked for the BBC for 14 years. She was murdered by gunshot outside her home in Fulham, West London; her killer has never been identified....
. However, in November 2007, the next Lord Chief Justice, Lord PhillipsNicholas Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth MatraversNicholas Addison Phillips, Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers, KG PC is the President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Before 1 October 2009 his title was Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary. He was Master of the Rolls from 2000 to 2005 and Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 2005...
, in the light of further expert opinions of the forensic evidence, declared George's conviction "unsafe" and also ordered a retrial. George was held in custody pending retrial and following an eight week hearing he was acquitted on 1 August 2008.
Personal life
Woolf, an Ashkenazi JewAshkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
, first met his wife Marguerite, a Sephardi Jew
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
, at a social event which was organised by a mutual friend at the National Liberal Club
National Liberal Club
The National Liberal Club, known to its members as the NLC, is a London gentlemen's club, now also open to women, which was established by William Ewart Gladstone in 1882 for the purpose of providing club facilities for Liberal Party campaigners among the newly-enlarged electorate after the Third...
. They have three sons who have all entered the legal profession.
External links
- Lord Woolf speaking about the role of the Judiciary and about the new Supreme Court.
- Lord Woolf's Inquiry into the LSE and Libya, March, 2011. Make a submission.