William Goodhart
Encyclopedia
William Howard Goodhart, Baron Goodhart QC
(born 18 January 1933) is a Liberal Democrat
politician, a leading human rights
lawyer
and a member of the United Kingdom
House of Lords
. He is the son of Arthur Lehman Goodhart
.
He was admitted to the bar in 1960 and made a Queen's Counsel
in 1979.
Originally a member of the Social Democrats
, he contested the safe Conservative constituency of Kensington
in both the 1983 and 1987 general elections.
When the SDP merged with the Liberals
, he was one of the members who participated in the merger, and he subsequently fought the Kensington by-election
of 1988 under the new Social and Liberal Democrats banner, finishing a weak third.
In the 1992 general election
he contested the winnable seat of Oxford West and Abingdon for the again renamed Liberal Democrats
. Goodhart cut the Conservative majority by over 1,000 votes down to 3,500 but still finished second.
He was knighted in 1988 and was created a life peer
as Baron Goodhart, of Youlbury in the County of Oxfordshire
on 23 October 1997. In the House of Lords, he has been a spokesman for the Liberal Democrats in various capacities, usually relating to legal matters. He previously served as the Liberal Democrats' Shadow Lord Chancellor
.
He has three children with his wife, Celia.
One is Annabel Frances Goodhart was born in 1967 and is married to James Dallas with whom she has three daughters, Josephine, Beatrice and Katherine.
Another is Laura Christabel Goodhart was born in 1970 and is married to William Watts with whom she has three sons, Matthew, Kenneth and Fletcher.
The third is Benjamin Herbert Goodhart was born in 1972 and has a son, Alfred, with his partner Wendy Young.
He is also the Chairman of JUSTICE
, the UK section of the International Commission of Jurists
, as well as serving as a Commissioner of the ICJ since 1993. He was elected as Vice-President of the ICJ in 2002.
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...
(born 18 January 1933) is a Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
politician, a leading human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and a member of the United Kingdom
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...
House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. He is the son of Arthur Lehman 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...
.
He was admitted to the bar in 1960 and 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 1979.
Originally a member of the Social Democrats
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
, he contested the safe Conservative constituency of Kensington
Kensington (UK Parliament constituency)
Kensington is a parliamentary constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom in west London, comprising the northern and central parts of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around Kensington...
in both the 1983 and 1987 general elections.
When the SDP merged with the Liberals
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, he was one of the members who participated in the merger, and he subsequently fought the Kensington by-election
Kensington by-election, 1988
The Kensington by-election, in Kensington, on 14 July 1988 was held after the death of Conservative Member of Parliament Brandon Rhys-Williams...
of 1988 under the new Social and Liberal Democrats banner, finishing a weak third.
In the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
he contested the winnable seat of Oxford West and Abingdon for the again renamed Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
. Goodhart cut the Conservative majority by over 1,000 votes down to 3,500 but still finished second.
He was knighted in 1988 and was 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 Goodhart, of Youlbury in the County of Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
on 23 October 1997. In the House of Lords, he has been a spokesman for the Liberal Democrats in various capacities, usually relating to legal matters. He previously served as the Liberal Democrats' Shadow 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...
.
He has three children with his wife, Celia.
One is Annabel Frances Goodhart was born in 1967 and is married to James Dallas with whom she has three daughters, Josephine, Beatrice and Katherine.
Another is Laura Christabel Goodhart was born in 1970 and is married to William Watts with whom she has three sons, Matthew, Kenneth and Fletcher.
The third is Benjamin Herbert Goodhart was born in 1972 and has a son, Alfred, with his partner Wendy Young.
He is also the Chairman of JUSTICE
JUSTICE
JUSTICE is a human rights and law reform organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is the British section of the International Commission of Jurists, the international human rights organisation of lawyers devoted to the legal protection of human rights worldwide...
, the UK section of the International Commission of Jurists
International Commission of Jurists
The International Commission of Jurists is an international human rights non-governmental organization. The Commission itself is a standing group of 60 eminent jurists , including members of the senior judiciary in Australia, Canada, and South Africa and the former UN High Commissioner for Human...
, as well as serving as a Commissioner of the ICJ since 1993. He was elected as Vice-President of the ICJ in 2002.