Scott Baker (judge)
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Scott Gillespie Baker (born 10 December 1937), styled The Rt Hon. Lord Justice Scott Baker (not "Lord Justice Baker"), is an English
Court of Appeal
judge
.
Baker is the eldest son of Sir George Baker
, a former High Court judge
who was President of the Family Division
from 1971 to 1979. One of his brothers, His Honour Judge Baker, QC, is the Resident Judge
at St Alban's Crown Court
.
Baker was educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College
, and studied at Brasenose College, Oxford
. He was a member of Chorleywood Urban District Council from 1964 to 1967. He married (Margaret) Joy Baker on 10 February 1973. They had 2 sons and one 1 daughter together.
He was called to the Bar
at the Middle Temple
in 1961, and practised in a range of legal areas, including family finance cases, and professional negligence
.
He became a Recorder
in 1976, and was appointed a Queen's Counsel
in 1978. He became a Bencher
at Middle Temple in 1985. He was a member of the Committee that inquired into human fertilisation in 1982 to 1984, chaired by Mary Warnock, which led to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990
.
He was appointed as a High Court judge
in 1988 (as Mr Justice Scott Baker), receiving the customary knighthood, and allocated to the Family Division
. He moved to the Queen's Bench Division in 1993. He was Presiding Judge of the Wales and Chester Circuit from 1991 to 1995, and a member of the Parole Board
from 1999 to 2002. He was the Lead Judge of the Administrative Court
from 2000 to 2002. In 1999, he presided over the trial of Great Western Trains
following the Southall rail crash
in 1997. He dismissed charges of corporate manslaughter, as there was no identifiable individual in the company who was also guilty of gross negligence
, but levied a then-record fine for health and safety offences of £1.5m. His judgment was upheld on appeal. The same year, Baker presided at the trial of Jonathan Aitken
on charges of perjury
following the collapse of Aitken's libel suit against The Guardian
.
Baker was promoted in 2002, becoming a Lord Justice of Appeal
(as Lord Justice Scott Baker). He was Treasurer of his Inn of Court, the Middle Temple, in 2004. He sat as coroner
for the inquest
s into the deaths of Princess Diana
and Dodi Fayed from 2 October 2007 to 7 April 2008.
In March 2011, Baker was sworn in as a Justice on the Court of Appeal in Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal of England and Wales
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom above it...
judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
.
Baker is the eldest son of Sir George Baker
George Baker (judge)
Sir George Gillespie Baker was a British judge. He was President of the Family Division of the High Court of Justice from 1971 to 1979....
, a former High Court judge
High Court judge
A High Court judge is a judge of the High Court of Justice, and represents the third highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales. High Court judges are referred to as puisne judges...
who was President of the Family Division
President of the Family Division
The President of the Family Division is the head of the Family Division of the High Court of Justice in England and Wales. The Family division was created in 1971, out of the former Admiralty Court and probate courts into the then Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division.As of 13 April 2010,...
from 1971 to 1979. One of his brothers, His Honour Judge Baker, QC, is the Resident Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
at St Alban's Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
.
Baker was educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College, , is a prestigious British independent school founded in 1862. The school is located at Hertford Heath, near Hertford, from central London, on of parkland occupied until 1858 by the East India College...
, and studied at Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
. He was a member of Chorleywood Urban District Council from 1964 to 1967. He married (Margaret) Joy Baker on 10 February 1973. They had 2 sons and one 1 daughter together.
He was called to the Bar
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1961, and practised in a range of legal areas, including family finance cases, and professional negligence
Negligence
Negligence is a failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances. The area of tort law known as negligence involves harm caused by carelessness, not intentional harm.According to Jay M...
.
He became a Recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
in 1976, and was appointed a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1978. He became a Bencher
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
at Middle Temple in 1985. He was a member of the Committee that inquired into human fertilisation in 1982 to 1984, chaired by Mary Warnock, which led to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990
The 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Coverage:The act covers several areas:# The licensing of human fertility treatment involving the use of donated genetic material ....
.
He was appointed as a High Court judge
High Court judge
A High Court judge is a judge of the High Court of Justice, and represents the third highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales. High Court judges are referred to as puisne judges...
in 1988 (as Mr Justice Scott Baker), receiving the customary knighthood, and allocated to the Family Division
Family division
Family division can refer to:* Family Division of the High Court of Justice* divorce* annulment* division of property* alimony* parental responsibility * dysfunctional familyFor an overview, please see family and family law....
. He moved to the Queen's Bench Division in 1993. He was Presiding Judge of the Wales and Chester Circuit from 1991 to 1995, and a member of the Parole Board
Parole Board
A parole board is a panel of people who decide whether an offender should be released from prison on parole after serving at least a minimum portion of their sentence as prescribed by the sentencing judge. Parole boards are used in many jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom and the United...
from 1999 to 2002. He was the Lead Judge of the Administrative Court
Administrative Court
The Administrative Court is a specialist court within the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. It deals mainly with administrative law matters and exercises the High Court's supervisory jurisdiction over inferior courts and tribunals .The Administrative Court...
from 2000 to 2002. In 1999, he presided over the trial of Great Western Trains
Great Western Trains
Great Western Trains was a UK train company created in the mid 1990s as part of the privatisation of British Rail. It was one of the first two passenger companies to be privatised, passing into private ownership along with South West Trains on 4 February 1996....
following the Southall rail crash
Southall rail crash
The Southall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 19 September 1997, on the Great Western Main Line at Southall, west London. Seven people were killed and 139 injured...
in 1997. He dismissed charges of corporate manslaughter, as there was no identifiable individual in the company who was also guilty of gross negligence
Gross negligence
Gross negligence is a legal concept which means serious carelessness. Negligence is the opposite of diligence, or being careful. The standard of ordinary negligence is what conduct one expects from the proverbial "reasonable person"...
, but levied a then-record fine for health and safety offences of £1.5m. His judgment was upheld on appeal. The same year, Baker presided at the trial of Jonathan Aitken
Jonathan Aitken
Jonathan William Patrick Aitken is a former Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, and British government minister. He was convicted of perjury in 1999 and received an 18-month prison sentence, of which he served seven months...
on charges of perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
following the collapse of Aitken's libel suit against The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
.
Baker was promoted in 2002, becoming a Lord Justice of Appeal
Lord Justice of Appeal
A Lord Justice of Appeal is an ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, and represents the second highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales-Appointment:...
(as Lord Justice Scott Baker). He was Treasurer of his Inn of Court, the Middle Temple, in 2004. He sat as coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
for the inquest
Inquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
s into the deaths of Princess Diana
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fayed's...
and Dodi Fayed from 2 October 2007 to 7 April 2008.
In March 2011, Baker was sworn in as a Justice on the Court of Appeal in Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory.