Sir Alexander Cockburn | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by George Frederic Watts | |
| Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench | |
| In office 24 June 1859 – 20 November 1880 | |
| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Preceded by | The Lord Campbell |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Coleridge Lord Chief Justice of England |
| Chief Justice of the Common Pleas | |
| In office November 1856 – 24 June 1859 | |
| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Preceded by | Sir John Jervis |
| Succeeded by | Sir William Erle |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexander James Edmund Cockburn 24 December 1802 Altona, Brandenburg Kingdom of Prussia |
| Died | 20 November 1880 (aged 77) 40 Hertford Street, Mayfair, London United Kingdom |
| Resting place | Kensal Green Cemetery Brent, Greater London United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse | Amelia (Emily) Godfrey (marriage not found) |
| Children | Louisa Charlotte Cockburn Alexander Dalton Cockburn |
| Alma mater | Trinity Hall, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Barrister, judge |
Sir Alexander James Edmund Cockburn, 12th Baronet GCB (24 December 1802 – 20 November 1880) was a British jurist and politician who served as the Lord Chief Justice for 21 years. He heard some of the leading causes célèbres of the nineteenth century.
In 1847, he decided to stand for parliament, and was elected unopposed as Liberal Member of Parliament for Southampton. His speech in the House of Commons on behalf of the government in the Don Pacifico dispute with Greece commended him to Lord John Russell, who appointed him Solicitor-General in 1850 and Attorney General in 1851, a post which he held till the resignation of the ministry in February 1852.[1]