Sir Thomas Patrick Russell PC (30 July 1926 – 28 October 2002), styled The Rt Hon Lord Justice Russell was a judge of the High Court of England and Wales and Lord Justice. Born in 1926, one of three brothers, all educated at

Urmston Urmston is a town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, which had a population of 41,825 at the 2011 Census. Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, it is southwest of Manchester city centre. The southern boundary is the ...

Grammar School and all graduates of

Manchester University , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Unive ...

, one of his brothers a chemist, the other a doctor. Patrick, the youngest, was called up in 1945 and served in the Intelligence Corps and the

Royal Army Service Corps The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a corps of the British Army responsible for land, coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters' units, supply of food, water, fuel and d ...

. He read law at

. A keen sportsman, and especially a cricketer, he captained the university's

first eleven The First XI (or, less commonly, First 11) are the eleven primary players in an organisation's leading team, particularly a football or cricket team. A player who is considered a core part of the starting line-up in a First XI team is often the ...

, continuing his lifelong passion for

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

. He was called to the Bar in 1949 and entered the chambers of Arthur Jalland in Manchester, (later Ship Canal House and subsequently Peel Court Chambers), and practised on the Northern circuit. He was prosecuting Counsel to the

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

(1961–70), Assistant Recorder of

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th ce ...

(1963–70) and Recorder of

Barrow-in-Furness Barrow-in-Furness is a port town in Cumbria, England. Historically in Lancashire, it was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1867 and merged with Dalton-in-Furness Urban District in 1974 to form the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness. In 202 ...

(1970–71). He

took silk 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 1971 and was Leader of the Northern Circuit from 1978 until 1980, when he was appointed to the High Court. He was presiding judge on the Northern Circuit from 1983 to 1987, when he was appointed to the Court of Appeal, where, among other high-profile cases, he sat in the libel appeals of

Private Eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satirical and current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely recognised for its prominent criticism ...

against Sonia Sutcliffe and of Count

Nikolai Tolstoy Count Nikolai Dmitrievich Tolstoy-Miloslavsky (russian: Граф Николай Дмитриевич Толстой-Милославский; born 23 June 1935), known as Nikolai Tolstoy, is a British monarchist and historian. He is a former ...

against Lord Aldington. In 1991 he was one of five members of the Court of Appeal who abolished the immunity of a husband from prosecution for rape in the case of '' R v R''. Russell played cricket for

Cricket club until he was in his forties. He was also chairman of

Lancashire County Cricket Club Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in English cricket. The club has held first-class status since it was founded in 1864. Lancashire's home is Old Trafford Cricket Ground, although the team also play ...

from 1999 until 2001.

External links

Her Majesty's Courts Service websiteThe website of the judges, magistrates and tribunal members in England and Wales
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Thomas Patrick 1926 births 2002 deaths Lords Justices of Appeal Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Knights Bachelor People educated at Urmston Grammar Alumni of the University of Manchester British King's Counsel British Army personnel of World War II Intelligence Corps soldiers Royal Army Service Corps soldiers