Sir John Charles Fenton (5 May 1880 - 3 January 1951) was a Scottish lawyer.

The son of James Fenton, Edinburgh, and Elizabeth Jack, he was educated at George Watson's College

George Watson's College

George Watson's College, known informally as Watson's, is a co-educational independent day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a hospital school in 1741, became a day school in 1871 and was merged with its sister school...

, Edinburgh, at Edinburgh University and at the Sorbonne

Sorbonne

The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...

He was admitted as a member of the Faculty of Advocates

Faculty of Advocates

The Faculty of Advocates is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary...

 in 1904. After service in World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, he was appointed a King's Counsel in 1923 and was briefly Solicitor General for Scotland

Solicitor General for Scotland

Her Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Government on Scots Law...

 in the Labour Government of 1924

Labour Government 1924

See also First Labour Government Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.Source: D. Butler and G. Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900-2000...

. He was later Sheriff

Sheriff

A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....

 of Fife and Kinross from 1926-1937, of Stirling, Dumbarton, and Clackmannan from 1937-1942 and of the Lothians and Peebles and Sheriff of Chancery in Scotland from 1942.

He was knighted in 1945.