Walter Archibald Elliott, Lord Elliott, MC (6 September 1922 – 9 August 2008) was a Scottish lawyer and judge. In 1971, he became the first president of the newly established

Lands Tribunal for Scotland The Lands Tribunal for Scotland () is a tribunal with jurisdiction over land and property in Scotland, relating to title obligations, compulsory purchase and other private rights. The Tribunal was established under the Lands Tribunal Act 194 ...

, and in 1978 took on the additional office of chairman of the

Scottish Land Court The Scottish Land Court () is a Courts of Scotland, Scottish court of law based in Edinburgh with subject-matter jurisdiction covering disputes between landlords and tenants relating to Tenant farmer, agricultural tenancies, and matters relat ...

. Since then, both offices have been held concurrently.

Early life

Elliott was born in London into a prosperous family. His father was

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

Thomas Renton Elliott Thomas Renton Elliott (11 October 1877 – 4 March 1961) was a British physician and physiologist. Biography Elliott was born in Willington, County Durham, as the eldest son to retailer Archibald William Elliott and his wife, Anne, daughter of ...

who would later be appointed Professor of Medicine at

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

, while his mother came from the wealthy McCosh Lanarkshire Iron and Coal Company of

Coatbridge Coatbridge (, ) is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. Along with neighbouring town Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Airdrie, Coatbridge forms the area known as the Monklands (popula ...

. His parents lived in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

's historic

Cheyne Walk Cheyne Walk is a historic road in Chelsea, London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It runs parallel with the River Thames. Before the construction of Chelsea Embankment reduced the width of the Thames here, it fronted t ...

, Chelsea, and in

Broughton Place, Scottish Borders Broughton Place is a historic house in the village of Broughton, Scottish Borders. It was designed by Basil Spence in the style of a 17th-century Scottish Baronial tower house. History In 1935, professor Thomas Renton Elliott, Gazetteer for ...

, a

tower house A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, to command and defend strategic points ...

in the

Scottish Baronial Scottish baronial or Scots baronial is an architectural style of 19th-century Gothic Revival which revived the forms and ornaments of historical architecture of Scotland in the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. Reminiscent of Scot ...

style designed by the then unknown Scottish architect

Basil Spence Sir Basil Urwin Spence, (13 August 1907 – 19 November 1976) was a Scottish architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral in England and the Beehive in New Zealand, but also responsible for numerous other buildings in the Moderni ...

in 1935, and completed in 1938. He was educated at

Sandroyd School Sandroyd School is an independent co-educational preparatory school for day and boarding pupils aged 2 to 13 in the south of Wiltshire, England. The school's main building is Rushmore House, a 19th-century country house which is surrounded by th ...

, then Eton and began studying history at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

, but interrupted his studies to join the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

in 1943. After the War, he completed his studies at Cambridge before returning to Scotland, studying at the

School of Law A law school (also known as a law centre/center, college of law, or faculty of law) is an institution, professional school, or department of a college or university specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for bec ...

of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

Military career

Elliott saw active service in 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 ...

as an officer in the 2nd Battalion

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot guards#United Kingdom, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642 in the Ki ...

. He joined up in August 1943, and on 11 September that year led a platoon in an attack on a tobacco factory in

Salerno Salerno (, ; ; ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Campania, southwestern Italy, and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after Naples. It is located ...

. Captured by German troops, he escaped into the mountains and was awarded an immediate

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

for bravery. He later wrote two books based on his experiences: ''Us and Them: a study of group consciousness'' (1986), and ''Esprit de Corps'' (1996).

Legal career

On completing his studies at

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

in 1950, Elliott was

called to the Bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the Law of the United Kingdom#Legal jurisdictions, three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Th ...

at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

, and admitted to the

Faculty of Advocates The Faculty of Advocates () is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary. The Faculty of Advocates is a const ...

in Scotland. He took up practice in Scotland, and was appointed

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 1963. In 1971, he was appointed a chairman of the Medical Appeal Tribunals, and as president of the newly established

. In 1978, he was appointed chairman of the

, retaining his position as president of the Lands Tribunal. Since his retirement in 1992, the positions have always been held together. He was succeeded by

Alexander Philip, Lord Philip Alexander Morrison Philip, Lord Philip, (born 3 August 1942) is a Scottish lawyer and former Senator of the College of Justice. Early life The son of Alexander Philip, OBE and Isobel Thomson Morrison, Philip was educated at the High School ...

Personal life

Elliott married Susan Isobel Mackenzie Ross in 1954, with whom he had two sons, Peter and Michael Elliott. He died on 9 August 2008.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elliott, Archie 1922 births 2008 deaths People educated at Eton College People educated at Sandroyd School Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scots Guards officers Recipients of the Military Cross Members of the Inner Temple Members of the Faculty of Advocates 20th-century King's Counsel Chairs of the Scottish Land Court British Army personnel of World War II 20th-century Scottish autobiographers British World War II prisoners of war World War II prisoners of war held by Germany British escapees Escapees from German detention Military personnel from London