Cecil Majella Sheridan

Cecil Majella Sheridan CMG (9 December 1911 – 22 May 2000) was a British lawyer who served as the last British Attorney-General of Malaya and was responsible for much of the legal work involved in the formation of Malaysia.

Early life and education Sheridan was born on 9 December 1911, the son of J.P. Sheridan of Liverpool. He was educated at Ampleforth College. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1934, and was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple in 1952.

Career Sheridan began his career as a solicitor in Liverpool in 1934, and continued in practice until 1940. During the Second World War he served as a pilot in Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) and resigned in 1946 with the honorary rank of Squadron Leader. From 1959 to 1963, he served as the last British Attorney-General of the Federation of Malaya and Malaysia. From 1962 to 1963, he served on the Inter-Governmental Committees for the Borneo Territories of Sabah and Sarawak, and Singapore.

Personal life Sheridan married in 1949, Monica, daughter of Sir Frank Ereaut and they had two sons and a daughter. In 1963, he was awarded the Panglima Mangku Negara.