Robert Walker, Baron Walker of Gestingthorpe

Robert Walker, Baron Walker of Gestingthorpe GBS, PC (born 17 March 1938) is a former barrister and former Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. He also serves as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.[1]

The Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe
Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
In office
1 October 2009  17 March 2013
Nominated byJack Straw
Appointed byElizabeth II
Preceded byPosition created
Succeeded byLord Toulson
Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
In office
1 October 2002  30 September 2009
Preceded byThe Lord Slynn of Hadley
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Lord Justice of Appeal
In office
1997–2002
High Court Judge
In office
1994–1997
Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong
Assumed office
1 March 2009
Appointed byDonald Tsang
Personal details
Born
Robert Walker

(1938-03-17) 17 March 1938
NationalityBritish
Spouse
Suzanne Diana Leggi
(m. 1962)
Residence(s)London and Essex
Alma materTrinity College, Cambridge
OccupationJudge
ProfessionBarrister
Chinese name
Chinese

He sat in the House of Lords as a crossbencher until his retirement from the House on 17 March 2021.[2]

Early life and non-judicial career

Born on 17 March 1938, the son of Ronald Robert Antony Walker by his wife Mary Helen, Walker was educated at Downside School and Trinity College, Cambridge from where he graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics and Law. He was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1960 and became a Queen's Counsel in 1982.

In 2010 he was the Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn.

He is an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe has served on the Honorary Editorial Board of the Warwick Student Law Review since its inception in 2010.

Judicial career

In 1994, Walker was appointed a High Court Judge in the Chancery Division, and as is customary was then made a Knight Bachelor, before appointment as a Lord Justice of Appeal in 1997. He succeeded Lord Slynn of Hadley GBE as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in 2002 and was created a Life Peer as Baron Walker of Gestingthorpe, of Gestingthorpe in the County of Essex.[3][4] He and nine other Lords of Appeal in Ordinary became Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom upon its inauguration on 1 October 2009.

Personal life

Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe married Suzanne Diana Leggi in 1962. They have one son (Robert, born 1963) and three daughters (Penelope Mary, born 1966; Julian Diana, born 1968; and Henrietta Solveig, born 1972).

Notable judgments

Arms

Coat of arms of Robert Walker, Baron Walker of Gestingthorpe
Crest
Issuing from flames Or a dragon’s head sable gorged with an eastern crown Or.
Torse
Argent and Sable.
Escutcheon
Argent on a chevron between three dragons’ heads couped sable as many crescents Or.
Supporters
Two ostriches reguardant proper beaked headed legged and holding in the beaks an ear of wheat slipped and leaved Or.
Motto
Mentem Mortalia Tangunt [5]

References

  1. "List of Judges and Judicial Officers (Position as at 1 September 2010)". Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  2. "Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe". UK Parliament. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  3. "No. 56712". The London Gazette. 4 October 2002. p. 11976.
  4. House of Lords (8 October 2002). "Announcement of his introduction at the House of Lords". minutes of proceedings. Retrieved 9 November 2006.
  5. "Lincoln's Inn Great Hall, Ed28 Walker". Baz Manning. 13 July 2009. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
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