Norman Birkett, 1st Baron Birkett
William Norman Birkett, 1st Baron Birkett , PC (born September 6, 1883 in Ulverston , Lancashire , † February 10, 1962 in London ) was a British lawyer, politician and deputy British judge at the International Military Tribunal at the Nuremberg Trial of the major war criminals .
Life
Birkett first attended the Grammar School at Barrow-in-Furness before studying law at Emmanuel College , Cambridge. From 1913 he worked as a barrister , specializing in criminal defense. In 1923 he received the title of Crown Attorney .
In 1920 Birkett married Ruth Nielsen, with whom he had two sons.
As a liberal he was a member of the House of Commons in 1923/24 and 1929–31 . In 1941, not uncommon in the United Kingdom , Birkett was appointed judge after he had already chaired a committee in 1939 that oversaw the internment of suspected British nationals. In this function he gained considerable experience in proceedings for war-related crimes such as B. espionage.
Based on this experience, Birkett was selected as a British judge for the Nuremberg Trials, bypassing various senior colleagues. The government abandoned the original considerations of making him a senior British judge because of his relatively limited professional experience as a judge. He became Geoffrey Lawrence's deputy and - despite the lack of voting rights - had great influence in the deliberations. Unlike Lawrence, Birkett received no title of nobility for his work in the trials, which he was dissatisfied with. However, he was admitted to the Privy Council and appointed Lord Justice of Appeal in 1950. He retired seven years later. The following year he was promoted to peer baron Birkett .
Birkett died on February 10, 1962.
Web links
- Norman Birkett, 1st Baron Birkett in the database of Find a Grave (English)
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| New title created |
Baron Birkett 1958–1962 |
Michael Birkett |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Birkett, Norman, 1st Baron Birkett |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Birkett, William Norman Birkett, 1st Baron (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British lawyer, politician, Member of the House of Commons |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 6, 1883 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Ulverston , Lancashire |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 10, 1962 |
| Place of death | London |