James Cassels

Sir James Dale Cassels (22 March 1877 – 7 February 1972) was a British judge, journalist and Conservative politician.

Early life He was the only son of Robert Cassels, assistant clerk at the Bow Street Magistrates' Court. Cassels served on the Western Front, fighting at the Battle of Arras and was twice mentioned in dispatches. He reached the rank of captain, and chaired a number of courts martial. He was also chairman of East Sussex Quarter Sessions. In 1939 he was appointed as a judge, and received a knighthood. He presided over a number of notable trials in the 1950s before retiring in 1960. He served as a special Commissioner of Assize at Norwich in 1961 and at the Central Criminal Court in 1962, clearing a backlog of cases.

Parliamentary career At the 1922 general election, he was elected as MP for the Leyton West constituency in east London, unseating the Liberal, Alfred Newbould by over 4,000 votes. Cassels narrowly held the seat at the 1923 general election, with majority of only 64 votes over Newbould, but at the 1924 general election he increased his majority to 3,403.

However, he was defeated at the 1929 general election by Labour's Reginald Sorensen, who represented the constituency (with one brief interruption) until 1965.

Cassels did not contest the Leyton seat again, but at the 1931 general election he was elected as MP for Camberwell North West, with a large majority. He did not seek re-election at the 1935 general election, when he was succeeded by the Conservative Oscar Guest.

Family Cassels was married three times. He was survived by his third wife, Deodora née Croft, and by a son (also a judge) and daughter from his second marriage. He died in 1972 aged 94.

A biography by Iain Adamson, A Man of Quality, was published in 1964.

In popular culture In the 1981 Granada Television series Lady Killers, Cassels was played by Robert East in an episode entitled "A Boy's Best Friend", which depicted the trial of Sidney Harry Fox.