Thomas Patrick Russell
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Patrick Russell PC
, QC
(30 July 1926 – 28 October 2002), styled The Rt Hon Lord Justice Russell was a British high court judge and Lord Justice.
Born in 1926, one of three brothers, all educated at Urmston
Grammar School and all graduates of Manchester University, one of his brothers a chemist, the other a doctor. Patrick, the youngest, was called up in 1945 and served in the Intelligence Corps and the Royal Army Service Corps
. He read law at Manchester University. A keen sportsman, and especially a cricketer, he captained the University first eleven
, continuing his lifelong passion for cricket
.
He was called to the Bar in 1949 and entered the chambers of Arthur Jalland in Manchester, (later Ship Canal House and subsequently Peel Court Chambers), and practised on the Northern circuit. He was prosecuting Counsel to the Post Office
(1961-70), Assistant Recorder of Bolton
(1963-70) and Recorder of Barrow-in-Furness
(1970-1971). He took silk in 1971 and was Leader of the Northern Circuit from 1978 until 1980, when he was appointed to the High Court
.
He was presiding judge on the Northern Circuit from 1983-87, when he was appointed to the Court of Appeal
, where, among other high profile cases, he sat in the libel appeals of Private Eye
against Sonia Sutcliffe and of Count Nikolai Tolstoy
against Lord Aldington
. In 1991 he was one of five members of the Court of Appeal
who abolished the immunity of a husband from prosecution for rape.
Russell played cricket for Urmston
Cricket club until he was in his forties. He was also chairman of Lancashire County Cricket Club
from 1999 until 2001.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, QC
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...
(30 July 1926 – 28 October 2002), styled The Rt Hon Lord Justice Russell was a British high court judge and Lord Justice.
Born in 1926, one of three brothers, all educated at Urmston
Urmston
Urmston is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of around 41,000. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre. The southern boundary is marked by the River Mersey and the...
Grammar School and all graduates of Manchester University, one of his brothers a chemist, the other a doctor. Patrick, the youngest, was called up in 1945 and served in the Intelligence Corps and 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 read law at Manchester University. A keen sportsman, and especially a cricketer, he captained the University first eleven
First eleven
First eleven or first XI may refer to the eleven players in an organisation's leading team, particularly a cricket team or association football team....
, continuing his lifelong passion for cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
.
He was called to the Bar in 1949 and entered the chambers of Arthur Jalland in Manchester, (later Ship Canal House and subsequently Peel Court Chambers), and practised on the Northern circuit. He was prosecuting Counsel to the Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
(1961-70), Assistant Recorder of Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
(1963-70) and Recorder of Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
(1970-1971). He took silk in 1971 and was Leader of the Northern Circuit from 1978 until 1980, when he was appointed to the 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...
.
He was presiding judge on the Northern Circuit from 1983-87, when he was appointed to the Court of Appeal
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...
, where, among other high profile cases, he sat in the libel appeals of Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
against Sonia Sutcliffe and of Count Nikolai Tolstoy
Nikolai Tolstoy
Count Nikolai Dmitrievich Tolstoy-Miloslavsky is an Anglo-Russian historian and author who writes under the name Nikolai Tolstoy. A member of the prominent Tolstoy family, he is of part Russian descent and is the stepson of the author Patrick O'Brian...
against Lord Aldington
Toby Low, 1st Baron Aldington
Toby Austin Richard William Low, 1st Baron Aldington, KCMG, CBE, DSO, TD, DL, PC , was a British Conservative Party politician and businessman.-Life:...
. In 1991 he was one of five members of the Court of Appeal
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...
who abolished the immunity of a husband from prosecution for rape.
Russell played cricket for Urmston
Urmston
Urmston is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of around 41,000. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre. The southern boundary is marked by the River Mersey and the...
Cricket club until he was in his forties. He was also chairman of Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
from 1999 until 2001.