Sir Stephen Tumim (15 August 1930 – 8 December 2003) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

, and was

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons is the head of HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the senior inspector of prisons, young offender institutions and immigration service detention and removal centres in England and Wales. The current chief insp ...

from 1987 to 1995. Tumim was the son of a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

, and was educated at

St Edward's School, Oxford St Edward's School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in Oxford, England. It is known informally as 'Teddies'. Approximately sixty pupils live in each of its thirteen houses. The school is a member of the Rugby G ...

and

Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...

. In 1978 he became a Circuit Judge. Appointed as

Douglas Hurd Douglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, (born 8 March 1930) is a British Conservative Party politician who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major from 1979 to 1995. A career diplomat and political secretary to P ...

, Tumim soon made a reputation as a critic of the existing system. He campaigned successfully for an end to

slopping out Slopping out is the manual emptying of human waste when prison cells are unlocked in the morning. Inmates without a flush toilet in the cell have to use other means (formerly a chamber pot, then a bucket, now often a chemical toilet) while locked ...

, and was also critical of the "enforced idleness" of prisoners, and poor mental health care. He served under successive

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

Home Secretaries (not all of them sympathetic to his views), until

Michael Howard Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne (born Michael Hecht; 7 July 1941) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005. He previously held cabinet posi ...

declined to renew his contract in 1995, and

David Ramsbotham General David John Ramsbotham, Baron Ramsbotham, (6 November 1934 – 13 December 2022) was a British Army officer, who later served as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. He was awarded a life peerage in 2005, and later sat on the crossbenches of t ...

was appointed. He was knighted soon afterwards, served on many charitable trusts, and continued to inspect prisons overseas. He was the founding President of UNLOCK, The National Association of Ex-Offenders. Between 1996 and 1998 he was principal of

St Edmund Hall St Edmund Hall (sometimes known as The Hall or informally as Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any university ...

, leaving amidst some controversy (he was popular with students, less so with academic colleagues). He was High Steward for Wallingford from 1995 to 2001. Tumim was named "Oldie of the Year" in 1994 by ''

The Oldie ''The Oldie'' is a British monthly magazine written for older people "as a light-hearted alternative to a press obsessed with youth and celebrity", according to its website. The magazine was launched in 1992 by Richard Ingrams, who was its edi ...

'' magazine. Tumim was on the committee and a buyer for the

Contemporary Art Society The Contemporary Art Society (CAS) is an independent charity that champions the collecting of outstanding contemporary art and craft for UK museum collections. Since its founding in 1910 the organisation has donated over 10,000 works to museums ...

. Between 1990 and 2003 he was President of the Royal Literary Fund. He was married to Winifred Letitia Tumim CBE ''née'' Borthwick (1936–2009) and had three daughters.Daily Telegraph: Obituary - Lady Tumim
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Publications

*''Great Legal Disasters'', Barker, London, 1983. *''Great Legal Fiascos'', Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1985. *''Crime and Punishment'', Phoenix, London, 1997.

References

External links

Guardian obituary, 10/12/2003
1930 births 2003 deaths People educated at St Edward's School, Oxford Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford Principals of St Edmund Hall, Oxford British prison inspectors 20th-century English judges Knights Bachelor {{UK-prison-stub