Francis Patrick Neill, Baron Neill of Bladen, (8 August 1926 – 28 May 2016) was a British barrister and a

crossbench A crossbencher is an independent or minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords and the Parliament of Australia. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and oppositi ...

member of the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

Early life and education

A son of Sir Thomas Neill, Patrick Neill was educated at

Highgate School Highgate School, formally Sir Roger Cholmeley's School at Highgate, is an English co-educational, fee-charging, independent day school, founded in 1565 in Highgate, London, England. It educates over 1,400 pupils in three sections – Highgat ...

and

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the ...

Legal career

He became a barrister in 1951 and

took silk 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 or a ...

in 1966. After heading One Hare Court, he became head of chambers of Serle Court, in

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincol ...

when the two merged in 1999. He worked alongside Henry Fisher, Roger Parker, Gordon Slynn, and Richard Southwell QC Lord Neill left Serle Court in 2008 to join his elder brother Sir Brian Neill, a former

Court of Appeal A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much ...

judge, at 20 Essex Street.

University of Oxford

He was

Warden A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint. ''Warden'' is etymologically identic ...

All Souls College, Oxford All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of ...

, from 1977 until 1995, and an Honorary

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

since 1995. He was

Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

from 1985 till 1989, and played a major part in the University's decision to undertake

The Campaign for Oxford The Campaign for the University of Oxford, or simply Campaign for Oxford, is a fundraising appeal for the University of Oxford, started in 1988. It is the biggest fundraising campaign for Higher Education in Europe and one of the largest un ...

. He was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2003 University of Oxford Chancellor election.

Family life

In 1954, he married Caroline Susan Debenham, daughter of Sir Piers Kenrick Debenham. They had six children: * Timothy Piers Patrick Neill * Robin Charles Richard Neill * Jonathan Francis Kenrick Neill * Harriet Susan Anne Neill * Matthew Piers Thomas Neill * Emma Charlotte Angela Neill, married to Rt Hon. Christopher Geidt, Baron Geidt, the former

Private Secretary A private secretary (PS) is a civil servant in a governmental department or ministry, responsible to a secretary of state or minister; or a public servant in a royal household, responsible to a member of the royal family. The role exists in ...

to HM The Queen. He died in May 2016 at the age of 89.

Honours

Having been

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the G ...

in 1983, Neill was made a

Life Peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

as Baron Neill of Bladen, of Briantspuddle in the

County of Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , Dor ...

, on 28 November 1997. He sat in the House of Lords as a

crossbencher A crossbencher is an independent or minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords and the Parliament of Australia. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and oppositi ...

until 18 May 2016, at which point he ceased to be a member pursuant to section 2 of the

House of Lords Reform Act 2014 The House of Lords Reform Act 2014 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act was a private member's bill. It received Royal Assent on 14 May 2014. The Act allows members of the House of Lords to retire or resign – actions previousl ...

, having failed to attend during the whole of the 2015–16 session without being on leave of absence.

References

External links

Personal Biography
, - , - 1926 births 2016 deaths People educated at Highgate School Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford English King's Counsel 20th-century King's Counsel Wardens of All Souls College, Oxford Vice-Chancellors of the University of Oxford Crossbench life peers Knights Bachelor English people of Irish descent 20th-century English lawyers Member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life Life peers created by Elizabeth II {{Life-peer-stub