Michael Argyle

His Honour Michael Victor Argyle, (31 August 1915 – 4 January 1999) was a British judge at the Central Criminal Court of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1988. Earlier, as a barrister, he defended Ronnie Biggs and, as a judge, presided at the Oz obscenity trial.

Early life Michael Argyle was born in Tamworth, Staffordshire in England. He received his formal education at Shardlow Hall prep school, Westminster School, and obtained a degree in the Law at Trinity College, Cambridge. He began practising as a Barrister in 1938. During World War II he served as a commissioned officer with the 7th Queen's Own Hussars, in India and the Italian theatres, being awarded the Military Cross for his leadership in an opposed crossing of the River Po in 1945. He was discharged from the British Army in 1947. He was an active member of the Conservative Party, and seeking access to Parliament he stood unsuccessfully for the Party in Belper in the 1950 general election, and again in the Loughborough constituency in the 1955 General Election. The Spectator donated £10,000 to two charities nominated by Dennis, in lieu of damages. However he declined to sue Argyle personally, commenting: "Oh, I don't want to make him a martyr of the Right: there's no glory to be had in suing an 80-year-old man and taking his house away from him. It was just a totally obvious libel."

He retired from the Bench in 1987, after receiving a public reprimand from the Lord Chancellor for public statements that foreign immigration into the United Kingdom was out of control, and that Capital Punishment should be reintroduced into England's judicial system for certain crimes.