The Lord Goddard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lord Chief Justice of England | |
| In office 21 January 1946 – 30 September 1958 | |
| Monarchs | |
| Preceded by | The Viscount Caldecote |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Parker of Waddington |
| Lord of Appeal in Ordinary | |
| In office 19 July 1944 – 21 January 1946 | |
| Preceded by | The Lord Atkin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Edgar Rayner Goddard.[1] 10 April 1877 Notting Hill, Middlesex United Kingdom |
| Died | 29 May 1971 (aged 94) Temple, London United Kingdom |
| Spouse |
Marie Schuster
(m. 1906; died 1928) |
| Children | 3 daughters |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Barrister |
William Edgar Rayner Goddard, Baron Goddard, GCB, PC (10 April 1877 – 29 May 1971) was Lord Chief Justice of England from 1946 to 1958, known for his strict sentencing and mostly conservative views despite being the first Lord Chief Justice to be appointed by a Labour government, as well as the first to possess a law degree. Goddard's no-nonsense reputation was reflected in a number of nicknames that he acquired, which included: 'The Tiger', 'Justice-in-a-jiffy',[2] and—from Winston Churchill—'Lord God-damn'.[3] He is considered one of the last hanging judges.[4]
- ^ "FreeBMD Entry Info".
- ^ "The Last of the Tiger"[dead link], Time, New York, 1 September 1958.
- ^ Bailey, Victor. "The Shadow of the Gallows: The Death Penalty and the British Labour Government, 1945–51". Law and History Review 18, no. 2 (July 2000), p. 339
- ^ "A Chief Justice got away with murder", The Independent, Sunday 2 August 1998