Lynskey tribunal
Encyclopedia
The Lynskey tribunal was a tribunal of inquiry into allegations of corruption
among British government ministers and civil servants. The allegations raised public alarm and disgust in the economic climate of austerity that prevailed in contemporary Britain. Though there were no prosecutions, the enquiry resulted in ministerial resignations.
saw the UK impoverished with widespread material shortages, and rationing
more severe than it had been during the war. During 1948, allegations began to surface that ministers and civil servants were taking bribes
to help businessmen circumvent the rules. Home Secretary
James Chuter Ede
established a tribunal under High Court judge
Sir George Lynskey
, assisted by Godfrey Vick
KC and Gerald Upjohn KC, and with a broad ranging remit to enquire into the allegations. The enquiry was though to be sufficiently important to recall Attorney-General
Sir Hartley Shawcross from his mission to the United Nations
, where he was completing the administration of the Nuremberg Trials
, so that he could lead for the government's interest. Goodhart
argued that using Shawcross's elite forensic skills enhanced the efficiency, effectiveness and reputation of the tribunal.
ster, illegal immigrant from Poland
and undischarged bankrupt. Stanley mixed with the great and the good of London
society and rumours circulated that he was able, through his government contacts, to shortcut "red tape
" and arrange preferential treatment, in return for monetary bribes.
It was alleged, inter alia, that Stanley had taken money from:
Junior minister John Belcher
and director of the Bank of England
, and former president
of the TUC
, George Gibson
were accused of corruption and they had certainly received gifts from Stanley including suits for which Stanley had provided the clothing coupons. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Hugh Dalton
was also accused, as was Minister of Works Charles Key
, and Robert Liversidge
, a businessman whose internment
during World War II had been something of a cause célèbre
. The informal nature of the proceedings, convened without any defined indictment
, led to a frenzy of speculation and allegation in the press
.
, with Stanley in attendance. It was a great public spectacle. The tribunal rose just before Christmas
1948 and reported on 28 January 1949.
in April 1949.
The tribunal led to the establishment of a Committee on Intermediaries to examine "how far persons are making a business of acting as ... intermediaries
between Government Departments and the public, and to report whether the activities of such persons are liable to give rise to abuses..."
Archbishop of Canterbury
Geoffrey Fisher
seemed to capture much public distaste for the revelations of the tribunal when he observed:
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
among British government ministers and civil servants. The allegations raised public alarm and disgust in the economic climate of austerity that prevailed in contemporary Britain. Though there were no prosecutions, the enquiry resulted in ministerial resignations.
Background
The years following World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
saw the UK impoverished with widespread material shortages, and rationing
Rationing
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services. Rationing controls the size of the ration, one's allotted portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time.- In economics :...
more severe than it had been during the war. During 1948, allegations began to surface that ministers and civil servants were taking bribes
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
to help businessmen circumvent the rules. Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
James Chuter Ede
James Chuter Ede
James Chuter Ede, Baron Chuter-Ede CH, PC, DL was a British teacher, trade unionist and Labour politician. He notably served as Home Secretary under Clement Attlee from 1945 to 1951.-Early life:...
established a tribunal under High Court judge
High Court judge
A High Court judge is a judge of the High Court of Justice, and represents the third highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales. High Court judges are referred to as puisne judges...
Sir George Lynskey
George Lynskey
Sir George Justin Lynskey was an English judge, particularly remembered for his role in investigating the political scandal that led to the eponymous Lynskey tribunal.-Early life:...
, assisted by Godfrey Vick
Godfrey Vick
Sir Godfrey Russell Vick KC was an English lawyer and judge who played a part in several important tribunals....
KC and Gerald Upjohn KC, and with a broad ranging remit to enquire into the allegations. The enquiry was though to be sufficiently important to recall Attorney-General
Attorney General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
Sir Hartley Shawcross from his mission to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, where he was completing the administration of the Nuremberg Trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
, so that he could lead for the government's interest. Goodhart
Arthur Lehman Goodhart
Arthur Lehman Goodhart, KBE, KC was an American-born British academic jurist and lawyer; he was professor of jurisprudence, University of Oxford, 1931–51, when he was also a Fellow of University College, Oxford...
argued that using Shawcross's elite forensic skills enhanced the efficiency, effectiveness and reputation of the tribunal.
Allegations
The principal allegations centred around the activities of Sydney Stanley (ne Kohsyzcky, alias Rechtand) a fraudFraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
ster, illegal immigrant from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and undischarged bankrupt. Stanley mixed with the great and the good of 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...
society and rumours circulated that he was able, through his government contacts, to shortcut "red tape
Red tape
Red tape is excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents action or decision-making...
" and arrange preferential treatment, in return for monetary bribes.
It was alleged, inter alia, that Stanley had taken money from:
- Harry Sherman, of Sherman brothers, football poolsFootball poolsA football pool, often collectively referred to as "the pools", is a betting pool based on predicting the outcome of top-level association football matches set to take place in the coming week. The pools are typically cheap to enter, with the potential to win huge money. Entries were traditionally...
promoters who was seeking:- A greater paperPaperPaper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
ration; - Discharge of a prosecution for exceeding their current ration; and
- Consent of the Capital Issues Committee to become a public companyPublic limited companyA public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
.
- A greater paper
- An importer of pinballPinballPinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
machines who sought further import licenseImport licenseAn import license is a document issued by a national government authorizing the importation of certain goods into its territory. Import licenses are considered to be non-tariff barriers to trade when used as a way to discriminate against another country's goods in order to protect a domestic...
s.
Junior minister John Belcher
John Belcher (politician)
John William Belcher was a British Labour Party politician, the first to resign in disgrace over a political scandal.-Political career:...
and director 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...
, and former president
President of the Trades Union Congress
The President of the Trades Union Congress is a prominent but largely honorary position in British trade unionism.The President is elected at the annual conference of the Trades Union Congress . They officially fill the office for the remainder of the year and then preside over the following...
of the TUC
, George Gibson
George Gibson (trade unionist)
George Gibson CH was a British mental hospital attendant, trade unionist and public servant, who was general secretary of the National Asylum Workers' Union, Mental Hospital and Institutional Workers' Union and Confederation of Health Service Employees from 1913 to 1948...
were accused of corruption and they had certainly received gifts from Stanley including suits for which Stanley had provided the clothing coupons. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
Hugh Dalton
Hugh Dalton
Edward Hugh John Neale Dalton, Baron Dalton PC was a British Labour Party politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1945 to 1947, when he was implicated in a political scandal involving budget leaks....
was also accused, as was Minister of Works Charles Key
Charles Key
Charles William Key, PC was a British schoolmaster and politician. Coming from a very working-class background, the generosity of a family friend made it possible for him to get a start in life and train as a teacher; he entered politics through Poplar Borough Council, and was elected to...
, and Robert Liversidge
Robert Liversidge
Robert William Liversidge , formerly Jacob Perlsweig, was a British Jewish businessman, whose activities sometimes attracted the attention of the police and intelligence services, a reputed spy, and subject of a cause célèbre as an internee in World War II Britain.-Early life:Liversidge's parents,...
, a businessman whose internment
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
during World War II had been something of a cause célèbre
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
. The informal nature of the proceedings, convened without any defined indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
, led to a frenzy of speculation and allegation in the press
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
.
Tribunal
The tribunal sat in public for 26 days hearing witnesses at Church House, WestminsterWestminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, with Stanley in attendance. It was a great public spectacle. The tribunal rose just before Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
1948 and reported on 28 January 1949.
Findings and aftermath
The enquiry concluded that Belcher and Gibson had been influenced in their public conduct and the police were of the view that they could be charged though Shawcross argued that prosecution would not be in the public interest so long as they resigned. Belcher and Gibson resigned. The civil service, Dalton, Key, Liversidge and others were exonerated. Stanley was proved a liar. Though no steps were taken to prosecute Stanley, there was a widespread sentiment that he ought to be deported. He left the UK, somewhat clandestinely, for IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in April 1949.
The tribunal led to the establishment of a Committee on Intermediaries to examine "how far persons are making a business of acting as ... intermediaries
Intermediary
An intermediary is a third party that offers intermediation services between two trading parties. The intermediary acts as a conduit for goods or services offered by a supplier to a consumer...
between Government Departments and the public, and to report whether the activities of such persons are liable to give rise to abuses..."
Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
Geoffrey Fisher
Geoffrey Fisher
Geoffrey Francis Fisher, Baron Fisher of Lambeth, GCVO, PC was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1945 to 1961.-Background:...
seemed to capture much public distaste for the revelations of the tribunal when he observed: