Sir Constant Hendrik de Waal, KCB, QC (1 May 1931 – 1 October 2016), known as Sir Henry de Waal, was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

- Dutch- Austrian

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 parliamentary draftsman.

Biography

Early life and education

De Waal was born in 1931 to Hendrik de Waal and Elizabeth, ''née'' von Ephrussi;"De Waal, Sir Constant Hendrik, (Sir Henry)"
''Who Was Who'' (online edition, Oxford University Press, December 2017). Retrieved 24 January 2019. his brother was Victor de Waal,

dean of Canterbury The Dean of Canterbury is the head of the Chapter (religion), Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral, the Cathedral of Christ Church, Canterbury, England. The current office of dean (religion), Dean originated after the English Reformation, although Dea ...

, and his cousins included Hugo de Waal, bishop suffragan of Thetford and principal of

Ridley Hall, Cambridge Ridley Hall is a theological college located on the corner of Sidgwick Avenue and Ridley Hall Road in Cambridge (United Kingdom), which trains men and women intending to take Holy Orders as deacon or priest of the Church of England, and members ...

. He attended

Tonbridge School Tonbridge School is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school for boys aged 13–18) in Tonbridge, Kent, England, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judde (sometimes spelt Judd). It is a member of the Eton Group and has clo ...

between 1944 and 1948,''The Register of Tonbridge School from 1900 to 1965'' (Old Tonbridgian Society, 1966), p. 237. and then

Pembroke College, Cambridge Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college is the third-oldest college of the university and has over 700 students and fellows. It is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from ...

, graduating with a BA in law in 1951, and then a postgraduate LLB the following year. A Dutch citizen, he was naturalised as a

British subject The term "British subject" has several different meanings depending on the time period. Before 1949, it referred to almost all subjects of the British Empire (including the United Kingdom, Dominions, and colonies, but excluding protectorates ...

in January 1953, and called to the bar 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 ...

later in the year; he was a Cassel Scholar at the Inn.

Career

De Waal was a

fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

of Pembroke College, Cambridge, between 1958 and 1960, when he joined the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. Aside from two years with the

Law Commission A law commission, law reform commission, or law revision commission is an independent body set up by a government to conduct law reform; that is, to consider the state of laws in a jurisdiction and make recommendations or proposals for legal chang ...

(between 1969 and 1971), he remained at the OPC until 1991, serving as a parliamentary counsel from 1971, before being promoted to Second Parliamentary Counsel in 1981 and First Parliamentary Counsel in 1987. He left that office in 1991, and became counsel to the

. He retired in 1996, by which time he had been appointed a Knight Commander of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

and 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 ...

(both in 1989), 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 1988),''The London Gazette''
20 April 1988 (no. 51308), p. 4665. and an honorary fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge.

Death

De Waal died on 1 October 2016, leaving behind a

widow A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has Death, died and has usually not remarried. The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. The adjecti ...

and two children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:de Waal, Henry 1931 births 2016 deaths Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge British King's Counsel Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath 20th-century King's Counsel 21st-century King's Counsel People educated at Tonbridge School Members of Lincoln's Inn Fellows of Pembroke College, Cambridge Dutch emigrants to the United Kingdom British people of Dutch descent British people of Austrian-Jewish descent Dutch people of British descent Dutch people of Jewish descent Dutch people of Austrian descent