Lord Bingham

Lord Bingham of Cornhill was an English judge and legal theorist who acted in each of the three most senior judicial roles. Lord Bingham was a High Court Judge between 1980-1986, a Lord Justice of Appeal between 1986-1992, Master of the Rolls between 1992-1996, Lord Chief Justice between 1996-2000 and Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary between 2000-2008. Lord Bingham was a driving force behind the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and instrumental in the creation of the Supreme Court as well as an influence on the Human Rights Act 1998. In 2005 Lord Bingham was made a member of the Order of the Garter (KG), the most senior, oldest and most prestigious branch of knighthood in England and Wales. He died in 2010, aged 76.

Lord Bingham was called to the bar (Gray's Inn) in 1959 and became a Queen's Counsel in 1972. He became a Recorder in 1975. In 1980 he became a High Court Judge appointed to the Queen's Bench Division and in 1986 was appointed as a Lord Justice of Appeal. He became Master of the Rolls, head of the civil division of the Court of Appeal in 1992, Lord Chief Justice, head of the English judiciary in 1996 and Senior Law Lord, head of the House of Lords judiciary committee in 2000. He retired in 2008.

Speaking after his death, Lord Hope described Bingham as 'the greatest jurist of our time'.