The Right Honourable The Lord Oaksey DSO TD PC QC |
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Lord of Appeal in Ordinary | |
In office 1947–1957 |
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Preceded by | The Lord Macmillan |
Succeeded by | The Lord Denning |
Personal details | |
Born |
Geoffrey Lawrence 2 December 1880 |
Died | 28 August 1971 | (aged 90)
Citizenship | United Kingdom |
Other political affiliations |
Crossbencher |
Alma mater | New College, Oxford |
Occupation | Barrister, judge |
Profession | Law |
Military service | |
Allegiance |
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Service/branch |
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Unit | Royal Artillery |
Battles/wars |
Geoffrey Lawrence, 3rd Baron Trevethin, 1st Baron Oaksey DSO TD PC QC (2 December 1880 – 28 August 1971) was the main British Judge during the Nuremberg trials after World War II, and President of the Judicial group.
The Lawrence family came from Builth Wells in Radnorshire. Geoffrey Lawrence was the youngest son of Lord Trevethin, briefly Lord Chief Justice of England in 1921-22. He attended Haileybury (where Clement Attlee was his junior) and New College, Oxford.
Lawrence was called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1906, and later joined the chambers of Robert Finlay. The chambers specialised in taking appellate cases to the highest courts—the House of Lords for domestic cases, and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for appeals from the Dominions and Colonies. Finlay came to rely on Lawrence, although for cases from Canada, Lawrence acted as lead counsel with Finlay as junior.
On 26 September 1914, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery Territorial Force (2nd East Anglian Brigade). He was promoted to temporary lieutenant on 20 November 1914. He served in France with the Royal Artillery, was mentioned in dispatches twice and as a major, was appointed to the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1918. After the end of the war he continued in membership of the Territorial Army until 1937.