Eustace Wentworth Roskill, Baron Roskill, PC (6 February 1911 – 3 October 1996) was a British barrister and judge.

Background and education

Roskill was the youngest of four sons of John Roskill KC. His mother Sybil was the daughter of the traveller and politician Ashton Wentworth Dilke. Roskill's oldest brother was Sir Ashton Roskill QC; another older brother

Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...

was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

officer and historian. He was educated as an

exhibitioner An exhibition is a type of historical financial scholarship or bursary awarded in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Purpose An exhibition is historically a small financial award or grant, of lower status than a "scholarship", given to an individu ...

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

and went then to

Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College (in full: The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, and the fourth-oldest college of the university. The college was founde ...

, where he graduated first class with a Bachelor of Arts in 1932, winning an honorary scholarship in modern history. Roskill studied afterwards as a Harmsworth Law Scholar at the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

and was called to the bar in 1933. Thereafter he worked at the Commercial Bar.

Career

With the beginning of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in 1939, Roskill, having previously suffered from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

, was not conscripted into active service, but became employed at the Ministry of Shipping until 1941 and subsequently at its successor the

Ministry of War Transport The Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) was a department of the British Government formed early in the Second World War to control transportation policy and resources. It was formed by merging the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Transpor ...

until the end of the war in 1945. He was nominated a Justice of the Peace in 1950, assigned to

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

and became deputy chairman of the county's

Quarter Sessions The courts of quarter sessions or quarter sessions were local courts that were traditionally held at four set times each year in the Kingdom of England from 1388; they were extended to Wales following the Laws in Wales Act 1535. Scotland establ ...

in the year thereafter.Who's Who (1963), p. 2685 Roskill was appointed a

Queen's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

in 1953 and chaired the Quarter Session from 1960. A year later he became Commissioner of Assize, serving in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, and was elected a

bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher c ...

by the Middle Temple. In 1962 Roskill received an appointment as judge on the High Court of Justice (Queen's Bench Division) and was therefore knighted.Dod (1996), p. 308 He became the new president of the Senate of the Inns of Court and the Bar, when it was formed in 1967. Roskill filled a vacancy as

Lord Justice of Appeal A Lord Justice of Appeal or Lady Justice of Appeal is a judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, the Crown Court and other courts and tribunals. A Lord (or Lady) Just ...

in 1971 and on this occasion was sworn of the Privy Council. Following the death of

Reginald Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne Reginald Edward Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne, (1 August 1905 – 7 September 1980), known as Sir Reginald Manningham-Buller, Bt, from 1954 to 1962 and as The Lord Dilhorne from 1962 to 1964, was an English lawyer and Conservative po ...

in 1980, he replaced him as

Lord of Appeal in Ordinary Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, commonly known as Law Lords, were judges appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the British House of Lords, as a committee of the House, effectively to exercise the judicial functions of the House of ...

, receiving the usual

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

age with the title Baron Roskill, of Newtown, in the County of Hampshire. Six years later he retired. From 1957 Roskill chaired the trust of the

Horris Hill School Horris Hill, is an independent day and boarding preparatory school for boys aged 4–13. It is located in Hampshire in England, south of Newbury in Berkshire and near the village of Newtown. The school was founded on its present site in 1888 ...

. When the

Parole Board for England and Wales The Parole Board () was established in 1968 under the Criminal Justice Act 1967. It became an independent executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) on 1 July 1996 under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The Parole Board is gover ...

was established in 1968, he was chosen as its first vice-chairman. From 1968 to 1971 he chaired the Roskill Commission (formally the Commission on the Third London Airport) which recommended Cublington in

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

as the site of a new airport for London. During his time as Lord of Appeal he sat in the Appellate Committee as well as in the

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, some Commonwealth countries and a few institutions in the United Kingdom. Established on 14 August ...

. After his retirement in 1986, Roskill chaired the Fraud Trials Committee and a year later became also chairman of the appeals committee of the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, a position he held until 1993. In his last years he served as an arbitrator.

Family

In 1947, he married Elisabeth, third daughter of Thomas Frame Jackson; the couple had a son and two daughters.Debrett (2008), p. 1220 Roskill died at

Reading, Berkshire Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, England, and the county town of Berkshire. It is the United Kingdom's largest town, with a combined population of 355,596. Most of Reading built-up area, its built-up area lies within the Borough ...

in 1996. Lady Roskill died in January 2014.

Arms

Notes

References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roskill, Eustace 1911 births 1996 deaths Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford British King's Counsel 20th-century English judges Knights Bachelor Law lords Members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council Members of the Middle Temple People educated at Winchester College Lawyers from London Queen's Bench Division judges 20th-century King's Counsel People from Newtown, Hampshire Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom 20th-century English lawyers