Sir David Charles Calcutt,
QC (2 November 1930 – 11 August 2004) was an eminent
barrister and
public servant, knighted in 1991. He was the
Master of Magdalene College,
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...
from 1985 to 1994. He was also responsible for the creation of the
Press Complaints Commission
The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC closed on Monday 8 September 2014, and was replaced by the Inde ...
. He is buried in the churchyard of St Beuno's Church at
Culbone, Somerset.
Early life and education
Calcutt was born at
Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Marlow (; historically Great Marlow or Chipping Marlow) is a town and civil parish within the Unitary Authority of Buckinghamshire, England. It is located on the River Thames, south-southwest of High Wycombe, west-northwest of Maidenhead and ...
, where his father, Henry, a pharmacist, ran a local high-street chemist's shop.
Calcutt was a chorister in the choir of
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the Anglican diocese of Oxford, which consists of the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is also the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford. This dual r ...
whilst attending
Christ Church Cathedral School
Christ Church Cathedral School is an independent preparatory school for boys in Oxford, England. It is one of three choral foundation schools in the city and educates choristers of Christ Church Cathedral, and the Chapels of Worcester College ...
, then went on to
Cranleigh School
Cranleigh School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in the village of Cranleigh, Surrey.
History
It was opened on 29 September 1865 as a boys' school 'to provide a sound and plain education, on the principles o ...
.
As an undergraduate at the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
he was a choral scholar in the
Choir of King's College, Cambridge
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge is an English Anglican choir. It is considered one of today's most accomplished and renowned representatives of the great English choral tradition. It was created by King Henry VI, who founded King's Col ...
.
Calcutt was known throughout the 1980s and 1990s for preparing reports and inquiries into various areas of public life. he was asked to produce a report on a fire in the
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouze ...
in which eight people died, then soon afterwards to produce a report into the
Cyprus Seven spy affair, in which seven servicemen were acquitted of having passed secrets to the Russians. He is most famous for suggesting the creation of the
Press Complaints Commission
The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC closed on Monday 8 September 2014, and was replaced by the Inde ...
in 1990, though he was later quite scathing about it describing it as
In 1969, he married Barbara Walker, a psychiatric worker. In later life, he developed
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...
, but he remained "cheerful and genial".
References
ie
1930 births
2004 deaths
Alumni of King's College, Cambridge
Fellows of Magdalene College, Cambridge
Masters of Magdalene College, Cambridge
English barristers
Knights Bachelor
Lawyers awarded knighthoods
Members of the Middle Temple
English King's Counsel
English legal scholars
20th-century English lawyers
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