Weddescendants - pafc01 - Generated by Personal Ancestral File

Lord Wedderburn of Charlton QC

(K.W. "Bill" Wedderburn) Q.C., F.B.A., M.A., LL.B. (Cantab.)

Another descendant of Robert "the Black Preacher", the only son of Herbert John and Mabel Wedderburn, Kenneth William Wedderburn was not destined to follow in the footsteps of his scalemaking father. Bill's interest in the classics was supported and encouraged by his father Herbert, who was able to arrange for tuition in Greek to complement his Latin studies, for which, Bill says, he is forever in his debt. He was able to gain a Cambridge place in classics in 1945. Only in 1947 did he decide to switch from classical studies (there was not enough philosophy in the course for his liking) and switch to law. Remarkably, despite this late change in direction, Bill was still able to win the George Long Prize for Jurisprudence (awarded to the candidate with the highest marks in Cambridge University Final Examinations) the following year, in 1948. In 1949 he received the Chancellor's Medal for English Law (awarded to a candidate of exceptional merit in English law and legal history, founded by Prince Albert in 1855). His sights were now firmly set on a career in law, and a most distinguished one it would be. Offered a fellowship by the Master of Clare College, Cambridge on platform 10, King's Cross railway station, (to pre-empt other offers!), he became Tutor of Clare College, and University Lecturer in Law, Cambridge University, from 1952 to 1964. He took his Bar finals in 1953, earning the Certificate of Honour. Legal adviser to the Transport and General Workers Union and the Trades Union Congress, later a front bench spokesman (1980 to 1992) for the Labour party against the Thatcher anti-union legislation, he was created a life peer by Jim Callaghan in 1977 for services to education.

In 1981, Bill was elected Fellow of the British Academy (for high scholarly distinction in a branch of the humanities or social sciences, as evidenced by published work). No other Wedderburn has earned this honour. The British Academy was incorporated in 1902.

Available from:

Labour Law in the Post-industrial Era

Five eminent labour lawyers from England, France, Germany and the Netherlands present their views on labour law at a conference held to commemorate Hugo Sinzheimar the famous labour lawyer. The speakers reflect on the consequences of the current economic, social and cultural transformations for the future role of labour law. This book is based on the proceedings of the conference and on the lectures given.

UK and EU Employee Consultation

This service provides advice and materials on UK and EU employee consultation. The work draws together coverage of all aspects of the law as it relates to consultation. It deals with the new collective rights and the right to representation in the workplace as laid out in the Employment Relations Act 1999. Other parts of employment law where representation and consultation are a statutory right include health and safety, TUPE and collective redundancies, working time, and Works Councils. Changes being made to the law relating to these areas are covered, as is individual representation. The coverage also includes other areas of employment where representation and other consultation are a statutory right.

See other available publications:

Forthcoming conference in Cambridge July 2001 to celebrate 40 years of the teaching of "Labour Law" at Cambridge University, a subject Bill himself introduced in 1961, and which prior to that date was only taught at four universities. "Labour Law" was first taught at LSE in 1903, the first course given by Mr. (later Lord) Wright. Bill will be presenting his paper "Common Law, Labour Law, Global Law", to be published in the proceedings of the conference by Cambridge University Press in 2002.

His cousin Margaret recollects: "I remember Bill as a 3 or 4 year-old, charging around the dining room table playing blow football (the precursor to "Subbuteo"), shouting "Up the Addicks" (Charlton Athletic)... He loved to win, and he loved a good argument!"

Clearly Bill was destined for an illustrious career in the legal profession.....

Now 75, Lord Wedderburn is still very active in politics and is a regular contributor to debate, especially in the field of employment law. A highly vocal critic of the Labour government in recent debate on clause 39 of the recent Employment Bill (see exerpts below), he remains the standard bearer for the radical tradition of the branch of the family that began with his fifth generation grandfather Robert. Bill is equally uncompromising in his views on social justice. Robert was visited in prison (sentenced to two years' hard labour) by the Conservative politician Wilberforce who wished to persuade him to distance himself from his outspoken and oft repeated view that the lot of the working poor in Britain paralleled that of the Jamaican slaves. Robert refused, despite being aware that the support of such a patron as Wilberforce would without a doubt have improved his dire situation. He was a man of principle, not one to barter his views in order to better his lot.

D.O.B.13.4.1927 Deptford, London

Called to the bar :Feb 1953

QC:1990

Bar Council member :15127

Education, Career :

Blackheath Road School 1933-38; Aske's Hatcham School 1939-43 (evacuated to Oxted, Surrey 1939); Whitgift School 1943-45. Queen's College Cambridge (State Scholar) 1945-49; George Long Prize for Jurisprudence 1948, Chancellor's Medal for English Law (double-starred First) 1949, Chairman of the Cambridge University Labour Club 1949

Fellow and Tutor of Clare College, and University Lecturer in Law, Cambridge University, 1952-1964.

Barrister 1953 (Middle Temple: Certificate of Honour), Queen's Counsel 1990.

1964-1992 Cassel Professor of Commercial Law, London School of Economic and Political Science, University of London; Professor Emeritus LSE 1992-.

Hon. Fellow, Clare College, 1997-

LSE Honorary Fellow: 1998

Fellow of the British Academy 1981. Member of Comparative Labour Law Group 1967-79.

Honorary degrees: Hon. Dott. Giur. University of Pavia 1990; Hon. D Econ. University of Siena 1991. Hon. Dott. University of Stockholm 1995.

Visiting Professor Harvard Law School 1969-70; and at various other universities in North America, Europe, Israel and Australia.

General Editor, Modern Law Review, 1971-92.

British Member, Executive Committee, International Society of Labour Law and Social Security, 1970-1992.

Member of Committee of Inquiry on Industrial Democracy (´Bullock Committee`) 1976-77. Member Civil Service Arbitration Committee, 1972-; Board Member, International Labour Law Reports, 1975-; Chairman of TUC Independent Review Committee 1976-; Chairman London and Provincial Theatre Councils 1972-94. Life Peer 1977. Junior Labour Party spokesman on Employment in the H.L. 1979-92; President of the Institute of Employment Rights 1989-1995. Hon. President Industrial Law Society 1997-.

Back to top

Qualifications:

Queen's College, Cambridge (MA, LLB Cantab, 1949), Vice Chancellor's Medal for Law (1949; Hon LLD: Siena (1985), Pavia (1985), Stockholm (1995).

Publications:

The Worker and the Law (1965, 2nd ed. 1971, 3rd ed. 1986); co-editor, Clerk and Lindsell on Torts (17th ed. 1995); Employment Rights in Britain and Europe: Selected Papers in Labour Law (1991) (in Spanish: Los Derechos Laborales en Gran Bretana y en Europa 1994; Labour Law and Freedom: Further Essays in Labour Law (1995); I Diritti del Lavoro (1997); with P. Davies, Employment Grievances and Disputes Procedures in Britain (1969); with B. Aaron (eds.) Industrial Conflict A Comparative Legal Survey (1972, Comparative Labour Law Group); contributor in F. Schmidt (Ed.) Discrimination in Employment (1978, Comparative Labour Law Group); with W. Murphy (eds) Labour Law and the Community (1982); with R. Lewis and J. Clark (eds) Labour Law and Industrial Relations: Building on Kahn-Freund (1983); with B.Veneziani and S. Ghimpu, Diritto del Lavoro in Europa (1987); with G. Lyon-Caen, M. Rood, W. Daubler and P. van der Heijden, Labour Law in the Post-Industrial Era (1995); with S. Sciarra ´Collective Bargaining as Agreement and as Law` in A. Pizzorusso (ed.) Law in the Making (1988); co-ed. Gower's Modern Company Law (4th ed. 1979); ´The Social Responsibility of Companies` (1985) 15 Melbourne Univ. L.R. 4; ´Limitation Legislative et Judiciaire en Matiere d'Action Syndicale et de Droit de Greve` (1990) Rev. Internationale de Droit Compare no. 1, 37-114; ´Global Markets and European Labour Law` in W. Sengenberger, and D. Campbell (eds.) International Labour Standards and Economic Independence (1994); ´Laws about Strikes` in W. McCarthy (ed.) Legal Intervention in Industrial Relations (1992); "Laski's Law Behind the Law" in Law, Society, and Economy (ed. R. Rawlings, 1996).

Many other articles and contributed Chapters on labour law, industrial relations, comparative employment law and company law.

Specialisation:

Employment and labour law, comparative labour law; cases include Stratford v Lindley [1965] A.C. 269 HL, Heatons Transport v TGWU [1975] A.C. 15 HL, Associated British Ports v TGWU [1989] 1 W.L.R. 939 HL.

Career:

Year of call 1953, Middle Temple; QC 1990; Fellow, British Academy (1984) and Clare College, Cambridge, 1952-1963; Hon Fellow 1997, Professor Commercial Law, London School of Economics, 1964-1992; Emeritus Professor since 1992; life peer, 1977.

Leisure: Charlton FC

Languages: French and Italian

Membership: Hon. Pres Industrial Law Society 1997

Back to top

No longer in print.....

European Community Labour Law
Principles and Perspectives: Liber Amicorum Lord Wedderburn of Charlton
Edited by PAUL DAVIES, Balliol College, Oxford, ANTOINE LYON-CAEN, University of Paris II, France, SILVANA SCIARRA, University of Florence, Italy, and SPIROS SIMITIS, University of Frankfurt, Germany

This collection of essays by an internationally distinguished group of writers takes stock of what Community labour law has amounted to so far and what its directions in the future should be. It covers the foundations of EC labour law, the principal actors and the implementation of policies in such fields as health and safety, discrimination, employment, immigration and the Social Fund.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE via AMAZON :

EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS IN BRITAIN AND EUROPE:
Selected Papers in Labour Law Lawrence & Wishart Paperback - 14 November, 1991

Lord Wedderburn

Published in association with the Institute of Employment Rights

In this first of two volumes of essays in labour law, Lord Wedderburn analyses the importance of comparative labour law, particularly in relation to Europe. He includes essays on the Italian Worker's Statute, the European Community's Social Charter and a comparison of the French and British systems of labour law.

Set in the context of the historical and social background to the development of trade unionism throughout Europe, and the connection between that history and the law, Employment Rights in Britain and Europe is a major contribution to our understanding of the subject.

'informative and thought provoking' Labour Research

Lord Wedderburn is Emeritus Professor of Commercial Law at the London School of Economics.

Paperback, 432pp, £24.99, All rights L&W
ISBN: 0 85315 744 8

Labour Law and Freedom Paperback - 480 pages (February 1995) Lawrence & Wishart; ISBN: 085315810X

Today, Britain has fewer legal guarantees for workers and trade unions than most other European countries. This situation arises partly from a longstanding laissez faire attitude towards labour law on both sides of British industry. It is not simply the result of recent legislative changes. This book is an examination of the legal conditions of the international/European framework within which they necessarily function. Lord Wedderburn formulates an agenda for legislative priorities to meet the next century, and argues for new ways of understanding labour law in the technological age. Lord Wedderburn is the author of "The Worker and the Law".

A number of issues of the International Labour Law Reports series are still in print and available through Amazon.