George Carman

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name = George Alfred Carman


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birth_date = birth date|1929|10|06
birth_place = Blackpool, Lancashire, England
death_date = death date and age|2001|01|02|1929|10|06
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death_cause = prostate cancer
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nationality = British
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occupation = Barrister
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George Alfred Carman (born 6 October, 1929 in Blackpool, Lancashire died 2 January, 2001), was a leading English barrister of the 1980s and 1990s. He first came to the attention of the general public in 1979 when he successfully defended the former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe after he was charged with conspiracy to murder. Carman had been appointed as a Queen's Counsel (QC) eight years previously.

Career

Carman attended St Joseph's College in Blackpool, a Roman Catholic Seminary - St Joseph's College, Upholland where he trained as a priest and finally Balliol College, Oxford. He graduated in 1952 with a first class honours degree in jurisprudence (law). Called to the Bar in 1953, he practised as a barrister on the Northern Circuit in Manchester, doing mostly criminal and personal injury work.

After successfully defending in 1979 the former Leader of the Liberal Party Jeremy Thorpe who was charged with conspiracy to murder in a case which became the cause célèbre of the decade, he became involved in a number of significant criminal trials during the 1980s. In 1981 he defended Dr Leonard Arthur, which he would later see as his proudest moment. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/1999/dec/19/hamiltonvalfayed.johnsweeney Brief encounters
George Carman | UK news | The Observer ] ] He later said of this doctor who had been accused of murdering a Down's syndrome baby: "He was a very dedicated doctor and clearly a kind and moral man who had done much good for thousands of mothers in this country - hundreds of whom wrote to him and sent flowers during the trial. His acquittal [...] is the moment in my career which has given me the greatest pleasure."

In 1989, he successfully defended the British comedian Ken Dodd on charges of tax evasion. During the 1990s, he appeared in many prominent libel trials on behalf of British newspapers, including the successful defence of "The Guardian" against a libel case brought by the Conservative politician, Jonathan Aitken. He became known for his celebrity clients, attracting headlines for his robust cross-examination, colourful one-liners in court and for winning difficult cases against seemingly insurmountable odds. When called back to Manchester in 1991 to save the legendary Hacienda nightclub from the threat of police closure he soon found the problem: the proclamations of owner Tony Wilson. It was reported that his opening advice was "Gentlemen, shut that loudmouth up!" [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2000/jan/12/artsfeatures.tonywilson] ]

Carman's reputation was built through representing "The News of the World" against Sonia Sutcliffe, Richard Branson against GTech and Mohammed Al-Fayed against Neil Hamilton. As well as his representation of Channel 4 when they were sued for libel by South African journalist, Jani Allan. Carman recognised that the case had 'international, social, political and cultural implications.'

Carman was head of chambers of New Court, Temple before leaving to go to 4-5 Grays Inn Square in 2000 for the last few months of his career. He died of prostate cancer on 2 January 2001.

Personal life

He was married and divorced three times and had a son, Dominic Carman, who wrote the controversial biography "No Ordinary Man".

References

External links

* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/1999/dec/19/hamiltonvalfayed.johnsweeney 1999 Observer interview with Carman]
* " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1097749.stm George Carman: The Bar's 'silver fox'] ", BBC News, 2 January 2001.