A Brief History

On his return from the Second World War, Fred Lawton (who would later become Lord Justice Lawton) found his old chambers bombed and a direction to go to the chambers of Norman Birkett (later Lord Birkett) in Temple Gardens. He stayed there until 1949 when he decided to set up these chambers, which he did at 5 King’s Bench Walk in Middle Temple. Barry Hudson (who later took silk), from the same set, joined him, together with Harold Cassell (later Sir Harold Cassell QC) and Michael Havers (later Lord Chancellor).

 

Norman Birkett, when he moved to the bench, asked to have his name over 5 King’s Bench Walk’s door. Amongst Fred Lawton’s early pupils were Margaret Thatcher, Airey Neave and Robin Day. The chambers rapidly developed into a mixed criminal and civil set, practising mainly in London and the South Eastern Circuit. Fred took silk in or about 1959 and was made a High Court Judge in 1962.

 

Anthony Arlidge (who would later take silk and become Head of Chambers) was his marshal during 1962-3. Following Fred Lawton’s elevation, Alun Talfan Davies QC joined chambers and became its Head. He was succeed by Michael Havers QC, David Cocks QC (1987) and Anthony Arlidge QC (1997). During this time, chambers’ members began to concentrate on criminal work and by the end of the 1980s chambers had become a specialist criminal set. It was also a large set, and in 1996, because many members both lived and had significant practices in East Anglia, chambers established the Chelmsford branch. In the following year, chambers moved its London centre to 18 Red Lion Court. When Anthony Arlidge became Treasurer of Middle Temple in 2002, Peter Rook QC took over as Head of Chambers (after a term as Chair of the Criminal Bar Association) until his elevation to the bench as a judge at the Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court) in 2005. He was succeeded by David Etherington QC.