Robert Parker, Baron Parker of Waddington

Robert John Parker, Baron Parker of Waddington, PC (25 February 1857 – 12 July 1918) was a British judge who served as Lord of Appeal in Ordinary. He has been described as "one of the most esteemed judges of the early twentieth century."

After taking his degree in 1880, Parker entered at Lincoln's Inn as a student and read in the chambers of Matthew Ingle Joyce. He was called to the bar in 1883 and remained in Ingle Joyce's chambers. In 1900, Ingle Joyce was appointed to the High Court, and Parker was selected by Lord Finlay to succeed Ingle Joyce as junior equity counsel to the Treasury, although he was unknown to the public. He never took silk. and was sworn of the Privy Council on 7 March.

As an appellate judge, Parker had a high reputation, and was much concerned with the reputation and independence of the court. On one occasion, a politically fraught case came to the law lords, who divided 4 to 3 along party lines. Parker, who was in the minority, proposed to a judge in the majority that they should deliver each other's judgments, an offer which was refused. During the First World War, he sat on appeals from prize courts in the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, and rapidly mastered the intricate practice in prize cases, without any previous experience in the field.

Parker also took part in public affairs. At the outbreak of the First World War, Parker lobbied privately ministers to introduce price controls, without success. He also spoke in the Lords, sometimes pressed by his friend Lord Curzon. In 1915, he spoke to the House of Lords about post-war reconstruction, and during the passage of the Representation of the People Act 1918 Parker (who had deputy high steward of the University of Cambridge since 1915) successfully pressed the Lords to allow women to vote in university constituencies even though they were disbarred from taking their degrees. On 19 March 1918, shortly before his death, Parker spoke on a motion by Lord Parmoor in favour of a League of Nations. Unable to read his handwriting due to failing light, Parker went to the table and read out a detailed scheme of twenty articles for the League's organisation.

His health failing, Parker carried on working until the summer of 1918, before he died on 12 July at Aldworth House, near Lurgashall, Sussex, the former residence of Lord Tennyson.

Family

On 9 September 1884 he married Constance Barkley, the daughter of a civil engineer; they had three sons and two daughters. One of his sons, Hubert Parker, Baron Parker of Waddington was Lord Chief Justice of England from 1958 to 1971, taking the same title as his father. A grandson, Sir Roger Parker, was a Lord Justice of Appeal.

The ancient Parker family seat is Browsholme Hall in the Forest of Bowland. Traditionally, the Parkers have served as Bowbearers to the Lords of Bowland.

Selected judgments

High Court

Johnson v Clark 1 Ch 303 Lord Fitzhardinge v. Purcell 2 Ch 139 Jones v Pritchard 1 Ch 630 Manks v Whiteley 2 Ch 448

House of Lords and Privy Council

Barry v Minturn AC 584 Attorney-General of the Commonwealth v. Adelaide Steamship Co AC 781 Kreglinger v New Patagonia Meat and Cold Storage Co Ltd AC 25 Trim Joint District School Board of Management v Kelly AC 667 Stickney v. Keeble AC 386 Pwllbach Colliery Co Ltd v Woodman AC 634 The Roumanian 1 AC 124 The Zamora 2 AC 77 Tamplin Steamship Co Ltd v Anglo Mexican Petroleum Co 2 AC 397 Daimler Co Ltd v Continental Tyre & Rubber Co (Great Britain) Ltd 2 AC 307 Admiralty Commissioners v SS Amerika AC 38 Bowman v Secular Society Ltd AC 406 Cotman v Brougham AC 514 Banbury v Bank of Montreal AC 626