Patrick Arthur Devlin, Baron Devlin lived from November 25, 1905 to August 9, 1992 and was a British judge and legal philosopher. He was the second-youngest English High Court judge of the twentieth century and served as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1960 to 1964. In 1959 he headed the Devlin Commission, which reported on the state of emergency declared by the colonial governor of Nyasaland. In 1985 he became the first British judge to write a book about a case he had presided over, the 1957 trial of suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams. He was also involved in the debate about homosexuality in British law, arguing in response to the Wolfenden report, and against H. L. A. Hart, that a common public morality should be upheld.
Facts
RoleLord of Appeal in Ordinary, 1960 to 1964; chairman of the Devlin Commission, 1959 1 Nationality / Jurisdiction BirthplaceChislehurst, Kent, England 1 Place of DeathPewsey, Wiltshire, England 1 Role
Role (category) Role (category) Role (category) Classification
Field of Law FAQs
What was the Devlin Commission?
A 1959 inquiry into the Nyasaland state of emergency.
In 1959 Patrick Devlin headed the Devlin Commission, which reported on the state of emergency declared by the colonial governor of Nyasaland.
What was Lord Devlin's position in the debate over law and morality?
He argued against H. L. A. Hart that a common public morality should be upheld.
He was involved in the debate about homosexuality in British law, arguing in response to the Wolfenden report, and against H. L. A. Hart, that a common public morality should be upheld.
What was unusual about Devlin's book on the Adams trial?
He was the first British judge to write a book about a case he had tried.
In 1985 he became the first British judge to write a book about a case he had presided over, the 1957 trial of suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams.
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In Legal System
Source Patrick Devlin, Baron Devlin (Wikipedia)
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Source Patrick Devlin, Baron Devlin (Wikipedia)Lead sentence 1tier 2Quote, Lead sentence 1
Patrick Arthur Devlin, Baron Devlin (25 November 1905 – 9 August 1992) was a British judge and legal philosopher.
Sources
1. Patrick Devlin, Baron Devlin (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIntroduction
Patrick Arthur Devlin, Baron Devlin (25 November 1905 - 9 August 1992) was a British judge and legal philosopher.
Body text, early life
Patrick Devlin was born in Chislehurst, Kent.
Body text, death
He died aged 86 in Pewsey, Wiltshire.
Body text, judicial career
he served as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary from 1960 to 1964.
Full article, field of law
As a result of his debate with Devlin on the role of the criminal law in enforcing moral norms, Hart wrote Law, Liberty and Morality (1963) and The Morality of the Criminal Law (1965).
Member Of: High court, Infobox
Justice of the High Court
In Legal System: Law of the United Kingdom, Wikipedia lead sentence
was a British judge and legal philosopher
View the Source 2. Wikidata: Patrick Devlin, Baron Devlin
Wikidata Q1033286 self-citation (QID resolved for a previously unsourced jurist)Quote, Wikidata Q1033286 self-citation (QID resolved for a previously unsourced jurist)
P31 (instance of): human; QID resolved and verified for this jurist (Patrick Devlin, Baron Devlin)
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