Sir George Mark Waller PC (born 13 October 1940) is a former Lord Justice of Appeal who served as the Vice-President of the Civil Division of the

Court of Appeal of England and Wales The Court of Appeal (formally "His Majesty's Court of Appeal in England", commonly cited as "CA", "EWCA" or "CoA") is the highest court within the Senior Courts of England and Wales, and second in the legal system of England and Wales only to ...

. The son of the Rt Hon Sir George Waller, he was educated at

Oundle School Oundle School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for pupils 11–18 situated in the market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire, England. The school has been governed by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City ...

and read law at King's College, Durham (now Newcastle University) before being called to the Bar in 1964 and is 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 ...

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and W ...

. 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 1979, and was served as a Recorder from 1986 to 1989. He was appointed to the

Queen's Bench Division The King's Bench Division (or Queen's Bench Division when the monarch is female) of the High Court of Justice deals with a wide range of common law cases and has supervisory responsibility over certain lower courts. It hears appeals on point ...

of the

High Court of Justice The High Court of Justice in London, known properly as His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, are the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Its name is abbreviated as EWHC (Englan ...

on 25 May 1989, being awarded the customary knighthood, and served until 1996. He was Presiding Judge of the North Eastern Circuit from 1992 to 1995. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal on 1 October 1996, and appointed a

Privy Counsellor The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians who are current or former members of ei ...

at that time. He served as Chairman of the Judicial Studies Board from 1999 to 2003, and has served as President of the Council of

Inns of Court The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. There are four Inns of Court – Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple. All barristers must belong to one of them. They have ...

and the Bar since 2003. He was Vice-President of the Court of Appeal's Civil Division from 2006 to 2010, when he retired from the bench. He was appointed as

Intelligence Services Commissioner The Intelligence Services Commissioner, was a regulatory official in the United Kingdom appointed under Section 59 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. They are tasked with reviewing actions and warrants taken by the Secretary of Sta ...

from 1 January 2011, and this appointment was renewed for a further 3 years from 1 January 2014.

Personal

Waller and his wife, Rachel, created the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust after their son took his own life while suffering from depression. Their aim is to increase awareness of depressive illnesses, especially among young people. He is a supporter of Newcastle United and a member of the

Garrick Club The Garrick Club is a gentlemen's club in the heart of London founded in 1831. It is one of the oldest members' clubs in the world and, since its inception, has catered to members such as Charles Kean, Henry Irving, Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Ar ...

References

1940 births Living people People educated at Oundle School Intelligence Services Commissioners Knights Bachelor Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Lords Justices of Appeal Alumni of King's College, Newcastle {{UK-law-bio-stub