- Lord Falconer may also refer to Lord Falconer of Halkerton. The title Lord Falconer of Halkerton was created in the peerage of Scotland on 20 December 1646, for Sir Alexander Falconer Lord of Session
| The Right Honourable The Lord Falconer of Thoroton PC, QC | |
 | |
| In office June 2003 – 28 June 2007 | |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | The Lord Irvine of Lairg |
| Succeeded by | Jack Straw |
| In office 09 May 2007 – 27 June 2007 | |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Jack Straw |
| In office 12 June 2003 – 08 May 2007 | |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| In office 06 May 1997 – 28 July 1998 | |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Derek Spencer |
| Succeeded by | Ross Cranston |
| Born | 19 November 1951 |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | Queens' College, Cambridge |
Charles Leslie Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton, PC, QC (born 19 November 1951) is a British barrister and Labour Party politician. The Right Honourable (abbreviated as The Rt Hon) is an Honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. Queen's Counsel ( postnominal QC) &ndash known as King's Counsel ( KC) during the reign of a male sovereign &ndash are The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the Government of the United Kingdom. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Alexander Andrew Mackay Irvine Baron Irvine of Lairg, PC, QC (born 23 June 1940 known as Derry Irvine, is a British Lawyer and John Whitaker Straw (born 3 August 1946 most commonly known as Jack Straw, is a senior British Labour Party Politician. See also Lord Chancellor The Secretary of State for Justice is a United Kingdom cabinet position Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to John Whitaker Straw (born 3 August 1946 most commonly known as Jack Straw, is a senior British Labour Party Politician. The office of Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs was a British Government position created in 2003 Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Sir Derek Harold Spencer, QC (born 31 March, 1936) is a British Conservative Politician. Sir Ross Frederick Cranston (born 23 July 1948, Brisbane Australia, styled The Hon Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. Queen's Counsel ( postnominal QC) &ndash known as King's Counsel ( KC) during the reign of a male sovereign &ndash are Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A barrister is a Lawyer found in many Common law Jurisdictions that employ a split profession (as opposed to a Fused profession) in relation The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person In June 2003 he became the Lord Chancellor and the first Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (a position created originally to replace the position of Lord Chancellor). The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the Government of the United Kingdom. The office of Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs was a British Government position created in 2003 In May 2007 the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) became the new Ministry of Justice with an enhanced portfolio, that encompasses all the responsibilities of the former DCA plus some functions transferred from the Home Office. The Ministry of Justice has been a department of the government of the United Kingdom since 2007 Upon that reorganization taking effect on May 9th, 2007, Lord Falconer became the first Secretary of State for Justice, while keeping the title and role of Lord Chancellor. See also Lord Chancellor The Secretary of State for Justice is a United Kingdom cabinet position Following Gordon Brown's accession to the position of Prime Minister, Falconer was replaced as Minister of Justice.
Educated at the Edinburgh Academy, Trinity College, Glenalmond, and Queens' College, Cambridge, Falconer became a flatmate of Tony Blair when they were both young barristers in London in the late 1970s in Wandsworth. The Edinburgh Academy is an Independent school. It is self-governed and financed though it remains subject to inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education Glenalmond College (formerly known as Trinity College Glenalmond) is a co-educational independent Boarding school in Perth and Kinross, Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to A barrister is a Lawyer found in many Common law Jurisdictions that employ a split profession (as opposed to a Fused profession) in relation London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. This article refers only to the town of Wandsworth For the wider area generally referred to as Wandsworth see the separate article on London Borough of Wandsworth. They had first met as pupils at rival schools in the 1960s. At school, he dated Amanda Mackenzie Stuart, an ex-girlfriend of Blair's, immediately after that relationship. While Blair went into politics, Falconer concentrated on his legal career. They met up again in 1976 when working as barristers in the same building. He practised from Fountain Court Chambers in London, and becoming a Queen's Counsel in 1991. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Queen's Counsel ( postnominal QC) &ndash known as King's Counsel ( KC) during the reign of a male sovereign &ndash are He married privately-educated Marianna Hildyard, a barrister as well, in 1985 [1]. Her father, D. H. T. Hildyard, was the British Ambassador to Chile in Santiago. The Ambassador from the United Kingdom to Chile is the United Kingdom 's foremost diplomatic representative in Chile, and in charge of the UK's Diplomatic Santiago ( (litteraly in spanish Saint James) is the Capital of Chile, and the center of its largest Conurbation ( Greater Santiago She became a QC in 2002. They have four children: Hamish, William, Rosie and Johnny. Hamish is a student at St John's College, Cambridge. St John's College, an institution known formally as The Master Fellows and Scholars of the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge is a The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the He was chair of Cambridge University Amnesty International 2006 - 2007, and is the director of Sudan Divestment. They own a £2. 5m house and a £250,000 basement flat in Islington. Islington is the central district of the London Borough of Islington. They also own a £550,000 country retreat in Thoroton (between Bingham and Bottesford in Nottinghamshire). Thoroton is a small Village located in the Parish of Thoroton in Rushcliffe, Nottingham, United Kingdom and lies along the banks Bingham is a prosperous Market town in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire, England. Bottesford is a village and Civil parish within the Melton district of Leicestershire, England. Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire His father used to live in the village, and they rent out his old home[2].
Having had a privileged education and upbringing, he placed his daughter and three sons at independent Westminster School [3]. The Royal College of St Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain 's leading boys' Independent schools with Tony Blair later used teachers from this school to privately tutor his children. This proved to be an electoral problem when he tried to be selected for the seat of Dudley East before the 1997 election, which had been held by John Gilbert. Dudley East was a parliamentary constituency, centred on the town of Dudley in the West Midlands. John William Gilbert Baron Gilbert PC (born April 5, 1927) is a British Labour politician He intended to keep his children at Westminster if selected, which caused the local selection panel to drop him from the selection procedure.
In May 1997 Blair became Prime Minister and Falconer was made a life peer as Baron Falconer of Thoroton, of Thoroton in the County of Nottinghamshire (he was the first peer created on Blair's recommendation), and joined the government as Solicitor General. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, life peers are created members of the Peerage whose titles may not be inherited (those whose titles are inheritable are known as Hereditary Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney In 1998 he became Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, taking over responsibility for the Millennium Dome after the resignation of Peter Mandelson. The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United The Millennium Dome, often referred to simply as The Dome, is the original name of a large Dome -shaped building originally used to house Peter Benjamin Mandelson (born 21 October 1953 called "Mandy" by much of the British News media, is a British Labour Politician who is the serving He was heavily criticised for the failure of the Dome to attract an audience, but resisted calls for his resignation.
He joined the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions as Minister for Housing, Planning and Regeneration after the 2001 election and moved on to the Home Office in 2002. In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport (or DfT) ( Welsh: Adran am Drafnidiaeth) is the government department Results |} Total votes cast 26368204 All parties with more than 500 votes shown The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for security and order At the Home Office he was responsible for criminal justice, sentencing and law reform, and annoyed some of his fellow lawyers by suggesting that their fees were too high.
In 2003 he joined the Cabinet as the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, becoming also Lord Chancellor 'for the interim period' before the office was abolished. In the Politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is a formal body composed of the most senior government ministers chosen by the Prime Minister The government argued that the position of a cabinet minister as a Judge and Head of the Judiciary was no longer appropriate and would not be upheld by the European Convention on Human Rights. The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (also called the "European Convention on Human Rights" and "ECHR" was adopted under the The announcement was generally seen as a rushed one as the abolition of the office of Lord Chancellor would require primary legislation. Removing the Lord Chancellor's judicial role was a policy known to be disliked by Lord Irvine of Lairg, the previous Lord Chancellor. Alexander Andrew Mackay Irvine Baron Irvine of Lairg, PC, QC (born 23 June 1940 known as Derry Irvine, is a British Lawyer and
The post of Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs took over the remaining responsibilities of the Lord Chancellor, and also became the sponsoring Department for the Secretary of State for Wales and the Secretary of State for Scotland. The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the Government of the United Kingdom. The Secretary of State for Wales (Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru is the head of the Wales Office within the United Kingdom cabinet. The Secretary of State for Scotland ( Scottish Gaelic: Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba) is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the Falconer announced his intention not to use the Lord Chancellor's power to sit as a judge and stopped wearing the traditional robe and wig of office. A wig is a head of Hair made from horse-hair human hair wool feathers buffalo hair or synthetic worn on the head for fashion or various other aesthetic and stylistic Falconer hoped to be the last to hold the title, ending 1,400 years of tradition. However, Lord Falconer has since said to the House of Lords Constitution Committee that he now "regrets" campaigning for the historic role of Lord Chancellor to be abolished. The Constitution Committee is a cross-party select committee of the House of Lords, the upper chamber of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the Government of the United Kingdom. He even joked about reinstating the traditional practice - abolished by his predecessor Lord Irvine - of making the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Great Chamberlain and the Earl Marshal walk backwards ahead of the Queen to show respect. Alexander Andrew Mackay Irvine Baron Irvine of Lairg, PC, QC (born 23 June 1940 known as Derry Irvine, is a British Lawyer and The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the Government of the United Kingdom. The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal and above the Lord High Constable Earl Marshal (alternatively Marschal or Marischal) is an ancient chivalric title used separately in England, Ireland and the United "I was keen to walk backwards, but was told I could not because all the other people now walked forwards and I would look like a crazed. . . I would be a very, very odd Lord Chancellor on that basis", Lord Falconer told the committee.
In a recent radio address on the BBC, he rejected calls for an English parliament to represent the people of England despite the fact that Scotland has its own parliament (see West Lothian Question. The West Lothian Question was first posed on 14 November 1977 by Tam Dalyell, Labour Member of Parliament (MP for the Scottish constituency )
Lord Falconer was replaced in his ministerial posts by Jack Straw during Gordon Brown's inaugural cabinet reshuffle. John Whitaker Straw (born 3 August 1946 most commonly known as Jack Straw, is a senior British Labour Party Politician. WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is
Freedom of Information Act
In his role as Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, Lord Falconer has sought to make it easier for government bodies to refuse to release documents under the Freedom of Information Act (2000), on the grounds that they are too expensive and too time-consuming for civil servants to find. The office of Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs was a British Government position created in 2003 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Currently, the legislation allows requests for information to be refused if the cost they will incur exceeds £600 for Whitehall and £450 for other public bodies. Whitehall is a road in Westminster in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards traditional Lord Falconer's proposed changes would make no difference to this level, but would expand the number of activities that would be included in the totals, making it easier for government parties to refuse requests for information. At the end of March 2007, Falconer's department announced that it would not introduce the proposals to parliament, but would instead have a second three-month consultation with the public (the previous consultation, also of three months, ended three weeks previous to this). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Media elements reported this change as a 'backtracking', and Maurice Frankel, director of the Campaign for Freedom of Information, was quoted as saying "This raises the strong possibility that the government will decide to leave the current arrangements untouched". [4]
External links
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Derek Spencer | Solicitor General for England and Wales 1997 – 1998 | Succeeded by Ross Cranston |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by The Lord Irvine of Lairg | Lord Chancellor 2003 – 2007 | Succeeded by Jack Straw |
| Preceded by Office created | Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs 2003 – 2007 | Succeeded by Office abolished Succeeded by Secretary of State for Justice |
| Preceded by Office created Preceded by Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs | Secretary of State for Justice 2007 | Succeeded by Jack Straw |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by The Lord Irvine of Lairg Lord Chancellor | Presiding Officer in the House of Lords Lord Chancellor 2003 – 2006 | Succeeded by The Baroness Hayman Lord Speaker |
See also
- List of Lord Chancellors and Lord Keepers
- List of Labour politicians
- List of British politicians
- House of Lords
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