Sir John Thompson (16 December 1907 – 11 July 1995) was a British barrister and High Court judge from 1961 to 1982.

Biography

Thompson was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

, the eldest son of Donald Cameron Thompson and Jeanie Dunn Thompson (''née'' Nisbet). He came from a modest background: his father was the head gardener of a large estate. He was educated at

Bellahouston Academy Bellahouston Academy is a non-denominational state-run secondary school in Bellahouston, south-west Glasgow, Scotland. History Bellahouston Academy first opened in 1876 as a private school run by Alexander Sim. It was taken over by the Gov ...

, before proceeding to

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, where he graduated MA, winning the Arthur Jones Memorial Prize in 1928 and the Ewing Gold Medal in 1929. He then proceeded to

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, ...

, where he held the Neale Scholarship, graduating BA in 1930 and MA in 1943. Called to the English Bar by the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn ...

in 1933 (winning the Powell Prize the same year), Thompson built up a large practice in personal injury litigation, particularly in industrial injuries. The "doyen of the Personal Injury Bar", he edited (with Harold R. Rogers) several editions of ''Redgrave's Factories, Truck & Shops Acts''. He was made a

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...

in 1954. Thompson was vice-chairman of the

General Council of the Bar The General Council of the Bar, commonly known as the Bar Council, is the representative body for barristers in England and Wales. Established in 1894, the Bar Council is the 'approved regulator' of barristers, but discharges its regulatory functi ...

from 1960 to 1961, having been a member since 1958. He was

Commissioner of Assize The courts of assize, or assizes (), were periodic courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the quarter sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The assizes ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

in 1961. He 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 ca ...

of Middle Temple in 1961, was Lent Reader in 1977, Deputy Treasurer in 1977, and Treasurer in 1978. In 1961, Thompson was appointed a Justice of the High Court and was assigned to the

Queen's Bench Division The King's Bench Division (or Queen's Bench Division when the monarch is female) of the High Court of Justice deals with a wide range of common law cases and has supervisory responsibility over certain lower courts. It hears appeals on point ...

, receiving the customary

knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

. He retired in 1982.

Family

Thompson married in 1934 Agnes Baird, (Nancy), oldest of John and Jeanie Drummond, of Glasgow; they had two sons.

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, John Knights Bachelor 1995 deaths Lawyers from Glasgow People educated at Bellahouston Academy Alumni of the University of Glasgow Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford Members of the Middle Temple English King's Counsel 20th-century King's Counsel Queen's Bench Division judges 1907 births