' I don't see him at all as the champion of the Common Man he's sometimes cracked up to be.'
(LORD GIFFORD)
' One of the greatest Common Lawyers who's ever lived.'
(LORD SCARMAN)
Lord Denning has attracted more public notice and more criticism than any other British judge in our times. For 20 years as Master of the Rolls he presided over the Court of Appeal. His judgments on civil cases have had far-reaching importance for the law and the rights of the individual. His admirers proclaim him as the champion of the Common Man against the might of government, corporations and trade unions. His critics say he was too political, too idiosyncratic and trod where judges should not.
Lord Denning's retirement at the end of September, after nearly 60 years of activity in the law, is the occasion of a first assessment of his notable career. He talks to David Jessel about some of his controversial rulings, on his view of justice, and on some of the formative influences on his life.
Producer WILLIAM TREHARNE JONES (Postponed from 2 October)