LORD JAUNCEY OF TULLICHETTLELord Jauncey of Tullichettle, who died on 18 July, 2007 aged 82 was one of Scotland’s greatest legal minds.In a career lasting over 50 years, Lord Jauncey was highly respected as both a gifted lawyer and judge.He was involved in several high profile cases, as well as some of the longest litigations in Scottish legal history.From the sensational Duchess of Argyll divorce case to the clearing of the pilots in the Mull of Kintyre Chinook helicopter crash, Lord Jauncey approached every case with a quiet dignity and sensitivity.Charles Eliot Jauncey was born in Edinburgh on 8 May 1925. His father was a celebrated naval captain and in 1943 he left school to join the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.His naval career was short by polio that left him with a slight limp for the rest of his life. Instead he studied Law at the universities of Oxford and Glasgow.In 1949 he entered the Faculty of Advocates and gained a reputation as a talented, hardworking lawyer. He specialized in maritime cases and was made Standing Junior Counsel to the Admiralty in 1954.He pursued his outside interests to a high level, becoming a member of the Royal Company of Archers in 1951. He also had a passion for geneology and in 1955 he accepted the role of Kintyre Pursuivant of Arms. He stayed in the post for 16 years, often acting as a lawyer in peerage cases.Between 1959 and 1963, Lord Jauncey represented the Duchess of Argyll in a notorious divorce scandal that revealed detail accounts of her promiscuity from her personal diaries.He was appointed QC in 1963. In 1971, at the peak of his career, he was given the prestigious post of Sheriff Principal of Fife and Kinross. But he resigned from the position in 1974 when the post became full-time, as he didn’t want to compromise on his practice.Lord Jauncey had consistently proved himself to be a first-class lawyer and this was recognised in 1972 when he was made a Judge of the Courts of Appeal of Jersey and Guernsey. In 1979 he was given the esteemed role on the Scottish bench as Senator of the College of Justice.In 1988 he was appointed Lord of Appeal in Ordinary – commonly known as a law lord. He retired in 1996, although continued to work in the House of Lords until a severe stroke in 2004 from which he never fully recovered.Lord Jauncey possesed a brilliant legal mind and was responsible for many important cases.He was widely respected by his colleagues and the government and was created a life peer in 1988 with the title Baron Jauncey of Tullichettle.He was praised for his patience that assisted him through two of the longest litigations in Scottish legal history. One case, which questioned Strathclyde Regional Council's right to put fluoride in the water supply, ran for 203 days.Lord Jauncey will also be remembered for his gracious personality. He was described as unfailingly courteous and a real gentleman. When not at work, he treasured his life in the country and was a keen fisherman. He was married three times and had four children
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