Robert Walker, Baron Walker of Gestingthorpe

For other people named Robert Walker, see Robert Walker (disambiguation).

Robert Walker, Baron Walker of Gestingthorpe, GBS, PC (17 March 1938 – 16 November 2023) was a British barrister and Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. He served as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal between 2009 and 2023.^[1]

The Right Honourable The Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe GBS PC
Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
In office 1 October 2009 – 17 March 2013
Nominated by	Jack Straw
Appointed by	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Lord Toulson
Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
In office 1 October 2002 – 30 September 2009
Preceded by	The Lord Slynn of Hadley
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Lord Justice of Appeal
In office 1997–2002
High Court Judge
In office 1994–1997
Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong
In office 1 March 2009 – 16 November 2023
Appointed by	Donald Tsang
Personal details
Born	Robert Walker (1938-03-17)17 March 1938
Died	16 November 2023(2023-11-16) (aged 85)
Nationality	British
Spouse	Suzanne Diana Leggi ​ (m. 1962)​
Residence(s)	London and Essex
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge
Occupation	Judge
Profession	Barrister
Chinese name
Chinese	華學佳
Transcriptions Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Wàh Hohk Gāai Jyutping Waa4 Hok6 Gaai1

Walker sat in the House of Lords as a crossbencher until his retirement from the House on 17 March 2021.^[2]

Early life and non-judicial career

Robert Walker was born on 17 March 1938, as the son of Ronald Robert Antony Walker by his wife Mary Helen Welsh. He was educated at Downside School and Trinity College, Cambridge from where he graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics and Law. He was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1960 and became a Queen's Counsel in 1982.

In 2010 he was the Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn.

Walker was an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe served on the Honorary Editorial Board of the Warwick Student Law Review from its inception in 2010.

Judicial career

In 1994, Walker was appointed a High Court Judge in the Chancery Division, and as is customary was then made a Knight Bachelor, before appointment as a Lord Justice of Appeal in 1997. He succeeded Lord Slynn of Hadley as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in 2002 and was created a Life Peer as Baron Walker of Gestingthorpe, of Gestingthorpe in the County of Essex.^[3][4] He and nine other Lords of Appeal in Ordinary became Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom upon its inauguration on 1 October 2009.

Personal life

Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe married Suzanne Diana Leggi in 1962. They had one son (Robert, born 1963) and three daughters (Penelope Mary, born 1966; Julian Diana, born 1968; and Henrietta Solveig, born 1972). He died on 16 November 2023, at the age of 85.^[5]

Notable judgments

• Re A (Children) (Conjoined Twins: Surgical Separation) [2001] Fam 147
• Gillett v Holt [2000] 3 WLR 815
• Re Spectrum Plus Ltd [2005] UKHL 41
• Moore Stephens v Stone Rolls Ltd [2009] UKHL 39
• HJ and HT v Home Secretary [2010] UKSC 31
• Futter & Anor v HMRC; Pitt & Anor v HMRC [2013] UKSC 26
• Moulin Global Eyecare Trading Ltd v Commissioner of Inland Revenue, FACV 5/2013, (2014) 17 HKCFAR 218
• Chang Wa Shan v Esther Chan Pui Kwan, FACV 2/2018, (2018) 21 HKCFAR 370

Arms

Coat of arms of Robert Walker, Baron Walker of Gestingthorpe

Crest Out flames Or a dragon’s head sable gorged with an ancient crown Or. Torse Argent and Sable. Escutcheon Argent on a chevron between three dragons’ heads couped sable three crescents Or. Supporters On either side an ostrich reguardant Proper the head neck legs and grasping in the beak an ear of wheat slipped and leaved Or. Motto Mentem Mortalia Tangunt[6][7]

External links

• www.parliament.uk
• Debrett's People of Today