Charles Edward Raymond Banner, Baron Banner, (born 3 June 1980), is a British

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

and

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 ...

. He was appointed a member of the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

in 2024.

Early life

Banner was born on 3 June 1980 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 ...

to Dr Edward Raymond Banner, a consultant psychiatrist, and Rachel Nimmo Banner (), of the Nimmo family who founded and operated the

Castle Eden Brewery Castle Eden Brewery (J Nimmo & Son Ltd) was a brewery that operated in the village of Castle Eden in County Durham. It was best known for ''Castle Eden Ale'', which continues to be produced at Seaham. History The business was established in 1826 ...

, and was raised near

Barnt Green Barnt Green is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England, situated south of Birmingham city centre, with a population at the 2011 census of 1,794. History Originating from the development of the railwa ...

on the outskirts of Birmingham. He is the nephew by marriage of

Robert Conquest George Robert Acworth Conquest (15 July 19173 August 2015) was a British and American historian, poet, novelist, and propagandist. He was briefly a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain but later wrote several books condemning commun ...

. He was educated at

King Edward's School, Birmingham King Edward's School (KES) is an independent school (UK), independent day school for boys in the British Public school (UK), public school tradition, located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Founded by Edward VI of England, King Edward VI in 1552, it ...

, and read classics ('' literae humaniores'') at

Lincoln College, Oxford Lincoln College (formally, The College of the Blessed Mary and All Saints, Lincoln) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Lincoln was founded in 1427 by Richard Flemin ...

, graduating with an

upper second-class honours The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure used for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied, sometimes with significant var ...

in 2002. He then studied for the Postgraduate Diploma in Law at

City, University of London City, University of London was a public university from 1966 to 2024 in London, England. It merged with St George's, University of London to form City St George's, University of London in August 2024. The names "City, University of London" an ...

, and graduated from

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

in 2004 after studying EU law. Whilst undertaking his postgraduate law studies in London from 2002 until 2004, he was the first intern at the recently established

Policy Exchange Policy Exchange is a British conservative think tank based in London. In 2007 it was described in ''The Daily Telegraph'' as "the largest, but also the most influential think tank on the right". Policy Exchange is a registered charity; it most ...

, later becoming a Research Fellow, working on policing and constitutional reform. During 2008 he worked on secondment in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

at the law firm Mayer Brown JSM and as a Judicial Assistant to the

Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (HKCFA) is the final appellate court of Hong Kong. It was established on 1 July 1997, upon the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, replacing the Judicial Committee of the Priv ...

and

Court of Appeal (Hong Kong) The Court of Appeal of the High Court of Hong Kong (commonly cited as "CA" or "HKCA") is the second most senior court in the Hong Kong legal system. It deals with appeals on all civil law (common law), civil and criminal law, criminal cases f ...

. In October 2008 he was part of the

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club is a Hong Kong watersports club for sailing and rowing including paddling. History In 1849 the ''Victoria Regatta Club'' was formed and later absorbed into the ''Hong Kong Boating Clu''b which, in 1889, was in ...

Quad scull A quadruple sculling boat, often simply called a quad and abbreviated as a 4x, is a racing shell used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four people who propel the boat by sculling with two oars, or "sculls", one in each h ...

crew that won the Around the Island Race, with the second fastest time ever recorded for a circumnavigation of Hong Kong island by a rowing boat.

Professional career

Banner was called to the bar of England and Wales in 2004 at

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

, and to the bar of Northern Ireland in 2010. Before embarking on private practice, he was seconded as a judicial assistant in 2005 to

Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead Donald James Nicholls, Baron Nicholls of Birkenhead, (25 January 1933 – 25 September 2019) was a British barrister who became a Law Lord (Lord of Appeal in Ordinary). Biography Nicholls was educated at Birkenhead School, before readin ...

Lord Rodger of Earlsferry Alan Ferguson Rodger, Baron Rodger of Earlsferry (18 September 1944 – 26 June 2011) was a Scottish academic, lawyer, and Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. He served as Lord Advocate, the senior Law Officer of Scotland, ...

and

Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are e ...

in the

. Banner 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 2019; at the age of 38, he was the youngest barrister to be appointed in that year. He joined Keating Chambers in 2020 to establish their practice in planning and environment law, to complement their established standing in construction, infrastructure and public procurement law. He practises in all those areas, as well as public law and commercial dispute resolution more generally. He has acted in over 200 reported cases, including 19 Supreme Court appeals (making him one of the top ten currently practising barristers by number of appearances in the Supreme Court since its opening in 2009), notable examples being R(Cart) v. Upper Tribunal

012 012 may refer to: * Tyrrell 012, a Formula One racing car * The dialing code for Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive br ...

1 AC 663 concerning the constitutional principles relating to

judicial review Judicial review is a process under which a government's executive, legislative, or administrative actions are subject to review by the judiciary. In a judicial review, a court may invalidate laws, acts, or governmental actions that are in ...

, R(Al-Skeini) v. Secretary of State for Defence

008 008, OO8, O08, or 0O8 may refer to: * "008", a fictional 00 Agent In Ian Fleming's James Bond novels and the derived films, the 00 Section of MI6 is considered the secret service's elite. A 00 (pronounced "Double O") is a field agent who ho ...

1 AC 153 concerning the territorial scope of the

Human Rights Act 1998 The Human Rights Act 1998 (c. 42) is an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which received royal assent on 9 November 1998, and came into force on 2 October 2000. Its aim was to incorporate into UK law the ...

, in which as a junior barrister he was led by

Keir Starmer Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and lawyer who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He previously ...

who was then a practising Queen’s Counsel, as well as judicial reviews concerning

HS2 High Speed 2 (HS2) is a high-speed railway which has been under construction in England since 2019. The line's planned route is between Handsacre – in southern Staffordshire – and London, with a branch to Birmingham. HS2 is to be Britain ...

(

R (HS2 Action Alliance Ltd) v Secretary of State for Transport ''R (HS2 Action Alliance Ltd) v Secretary of State for Transport'' 014UKSC 3is a UK constitutional law case, concerning the conflict of law between a national legal system and European Union law. Facts The HS2 Action Alliance, Buckinghamshire ...

), the proposed third runway at

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdo ...

, the expansion of

Stansted Airport Stansted Airport is an international airport serving London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, Uttlesford, Essex, northeast of Central London. As London's third-busiest airport, Stan ...

,, a new stadium at

Casement Park Casement Park () is the principal Gaelic games stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is located in Andersonstown Road in the west of the city, and is named after the Irish revolutionary Roger Casement. The stadium, which has been closed si ...

., and the Abingdon Reservoir. He sits as a part-time judge of the

Astana International Financial Centre The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is a financial hub in Astana, Kazakhstan that officially launched on July 5, 2018. The Constitutional Statute "On the Astana International Financial Centre" approved on 7 December 2015 provides a ...

Court in

Astana Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. With a population of 1,423,726 within the city limits, it is the second-largest in the country after Almaty, which had been the capital until 1997. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

. He is the founder and co-presenter of the high-profile planning and land use related charity podcast, Have We Got Planning News For You. He was 'Highly Commended' in the 'Barrister of the Year' category at the Lawyer Awards 2025, and was voted the No. 1 planning specialist

King'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 Planning Magazine's Planning Law Survey 2025. He has held non-executive board positions at the

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is a global professional body for those working in the Built Environment, Construction, Land, Property and Real Estate. The RICS was founded in London in 1868. It works at a cross-governmental ...

(2018–2023), the

Joint Nature Conservation Committee The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is the public body that advises the Government of the United Kingdom and devolved administrations on UK-wide and international nature conservation. Originally established under the Environmental Pro ...

(2017–2024; including as deputy chair, 2021–2023; and interim chair, 2023–2024) and the European Union's

Fundamental Rights Agency The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, usually known in English as the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), is a Vienna-based agency of the European Union inaugurated on 1 March 2007. It was established by Council Regulation (EC) No 168/ ...

(2017–2020).

Political career

Nominated by Prime Minister

Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak (born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2022 to 2024. Following his defeat to Keir Starmer's La ...

, Banner was created a life peer on 6 March 2024 as ''Baron Banner, of Barnt Green in the County of Worcestershire''. He was introduced to the House of Lords as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

peer on 18 March. He gave his

maiden speech A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament. Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country. In many Westminster system governments, there is a convention th ...

on 19 April 2024 on the subject of the impact of environmental regulations on development. His subsequent spoken contributions in the House of Lords have focused on planning & infrastructure, the environment, justice & the constitution, defence and foreign policy. He is an advocate of expanding the United Kingdom's independent nuclear deterrent. In March 2024, Banner was appointed by the government to lead an independent review into national infrastructure projects to streamline their procedure and cut down legal challenges. The Banner Review's report was published in October 2024, alongside a Government 'Call For Evidence' paper. In January 2025, Prime Minister

announced that the Government would give effect to the Banner Review's recommendations. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill, presented to the UK Parliament in March 2025, contained provisions to give legislative force to Banner's recommendations. In January 2025, he spoke out in defence of

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

Richard Hermer Richard Simon Hermer, Baron Hermer, (born 1968) is a British barrister and life peer who has served as Attorney General for England and Wales and Advocate General for Northern Ireland since July 2024. Born in South Glamorgan, Hermer attended Ca ...

KC, who had been criticised in the conservative media for having previously represented clients such as

Gerry Adams Gerard Adams (; born 6 October 1948) is a retired Irish Republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin between 13 November 1983 and 10 February 2018, and served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Louth from 2011 to 2020. From 1983 to 19 ...

and Shamina Begum, citing the 'cab rank rule' of the independent bar in the UK as playing a critical role in ensuring equality before the law. In April 2025, he was one of 21 UK Parliamentarians sanctioned by

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

in response to their support for sanctioned Russian state assets to be given to

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

as a down-payment for reparations owed for the invasion of Ukraine. In June 2025, Banner and former

UK Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (initialism: UKSC) is the final court of appeal for all civil cases in the United Kingdom and all criminal cases originating in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as some limited criminal cases ...

President

Baroness Hale of Richmond Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knight, ...

tabled an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill to incorporate the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

Convention on the Rights of the Child The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (commonly abbreviated as the CRC or UNCRC) is an international international human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of ch ...

into domestic English law.

Personal life

Banner is a Patron of the Restart Foundation (a charity focused upon improving mental health in Ukraine), a Trustee of Prism the Gift Fund (a facilitator for charitable giving), and a supporter of Sir Brian May's animal-welfare and nature-conservation organisation Save Me. He is a rock music enthusiast and advocate of live music venues.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banner, Charles Banner, Baron Living people 1980 births Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford Alumni of City, University of London Alumni of King's College London British King's Counsel 21st-century British lawyers 21st-century King's Counsel Conservative Party (UK) life peers Life peers created by Charles III Lawyers from Birmingham, West Midlands Politicians from Birmingham, West Midlands 21st-century British politicians Members of Lincoln's Inn People educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham