Denis Martin Cowley QC (30 January 1919 – 28 June 1985) was a British barrister and judge.

Biography

Cowley was born in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

, a son of Sir William Percy Cowley CBE, also a Liberal and a

Deemster A Deemster ( gv, briw) is a judge in the Isle of Man. The High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man is presided over by a deemster or, in the case of the appeal division of that court, a deemster and the Judge of Appeal. The deemsters also promu ...

on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

. He was educated at

Radley College Radley College, formally St Peter's College, Radley, is a public school (independent boarding school for boys) near Radley, Oxfordshire, England, which was founded in 1847. The school covers including playing fields, a golf course, a lake, an ...

and

Exeter College, Oxford (Let Exeter Flourish) , old_names = ''Stapeldon Hall'' , named_for = Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter , established = , sister_college = Emmanuel College, Cambridge , rector = Sir Richard Trainor ...

where he received a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

(Hons

Jurisprudence Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning a ...

). In 1940 he married Margaret Hazel Teare, of Ramsey, Isle of Man. They had one son and two daughters. Cowley served during the war as a Sergeant and then a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve from 1939–45. His spitfire was shot down over the English Channel and he was taken prisoner. He was a prisoner of war in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

from 1941 to 1944. While a prisoner he studied law. He made numerous attempts to escape and succeeded in reaching Switzerland where he was held by the authorities. He made a further escape to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, where the French Resistance helped him to link up with the Allied Forces. Cowley was called to the bar by the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

in 1946. He based himself in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

and practised on the Midland Circuit. In 1965 he became a

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister o ...

. In 1969 he became Deputy Senior Judge on the Midland and Oxford Circuit. In 1972 he became a

Bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher ca ...

. In 1973 he successfully acted for the Douglas Corporation at the Summerland fire disaster inquiry. In 1974 he became a Recorder of the Crown Court. In 1979 he was leading counsel for John Le Mesurier in

Thorpe affair The Thorpe affair of the 1970s was a British political and sex scandal that ended the career of Jeremy Thorpe, the leader of the Liberal Party and Member of Parliament (MP) for North Devon. The scandal arose from allegations by Norman Josiffe ( ...

trial at the Old Bailey. During the trial, Cowley advised Le Mesurier that his best chance of acquittal was by giving evidence that could harm the other defendants, including

Jeremy Thorpe John Jeremy Thorpe (29 April 1929 – 4 December 2014) was a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament for North Devon from 1959 to 1979, and as leader of the Liberal Party from 1967 to 1976. In May 1979 he was tried at the ...

. However, Le Measurier chose not to and was acquitted along with the other defendants. In 1982 he became Senior Judge in the Sovereign Base Areas, Cyprus. In 1984 he was appointed to the Mental Health Appeal Tribunal. In August 1949 Cowley was chosen as Liberal candidate for the

Brigg Brigg ( /'brɪg/) is a market town in North Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 5,076 in the 2001 UK census, the population increased to 5,626 at the 2011 census. The town lies at the junction of the River Ancholme and east–west tra ...

division of Lincolnshire and contested the 1950 General Election, standing against Lance Mallalieu, a former Liberal MP who held the seat for the Labour Party. The Liberal Party did not have much of a track record in the constituency and did not even contest the 1948 Brigg by-election. He finished third, though he did manage to save his deposit. He did not stand for parliament again.British parliamentary election results 1950-1973, Craig, F.W.S. In 1985 he died in

Castletown, Isle of Man Castletown ( gv, Balley Chashtal, pronounced ) is a town in the Isle of Man, geographically within the historical parish of Malew but administered separately. Lying at the south of the island, it was the Manx capital until 1869. The centre of ...

at the age of 66.

Electoral results

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowley, Denis Martin 1919 births 1985 deaths Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford 20th-century King's Counsel 20th-century English judges Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II People educated at Radley College