High Court Alfred Denning, Baron Denning

the royal courts of justice, denning sat between 1944 , 1956 in high court , court of appeal , again 1962 1982 master of rolls

denning officially appointed on 7 march 1944 salary of £5,000, , received customary knighthood on 15 march 1944. after becoming judge denning elected bencher of lincoln s inn, , became treasurer in 1964. denning had little experience divorce law , disliked it; seen inferior type of law. there few barristers specialising in divorce law; 2 other barristers sworn probate, divorce , admiralty division along denning, , of 3 1 had ever practised divorce law. work divorce judge relatively sound; decisions overturned once, in churchman v churchman [1945] 2 er 190.

with appointment of lord jowitt lord chancellor in 1945 denning transferred king s bench division, jowitt thought talents better put use (with hildreth glyn-jones qc, later high court judge, greeting him words welcome home ).

in 1946 travelled western circuit recalled lord chancellor chair committee looking @ reform of procedure in divorce cases. continued working judge while chairing daily committee. committee appointed on 26 june 1946 , published first report in july, reduced time between decree nisi , decree absolute 6 months 6 weeks. second report published in november, recommending county court judges should appointed try cases, , final report published in february 1947 recommending establishment of marriage welfare service. reports received public , led denning being invited in 1949 become president of national marriage guidance council.

his appointment king s bench division allowed him hear pension appeals, , attempted reform principles applied government minister , pensions tribunals. in starr v ministry of pensions [1946] 1 kb 345 ruled tribunals prove injury not due war service, reversing previous state of affairs claimant have prove injuries due war service before granted pension. in james v minister of pensions [1947] kb 867 allowed judges approve time extensions claimant gather more evidence when such extensions had been rejected tribunal. these 2 cases made large difference applicants, , received praise both british legion , public.

the government refused servicemen had been rejected courts prior denning s judgment, provoked public outcry under slogan fit service, fit pension . british legion chose 73 cases , asked denning let legion present them while courts not sitting; denning heard 73 cases on 11 july 1946.

in 1947 decided in central london property trust ltd v high trees house ltd [1947] kb 130 (known high trees case), milestone in english contract law. resurrected principle of promissory estoppel established in hughes v metropolitan railway co (1876–77) lr 2 app cas 439 , has been both praised , criticised lawyers , legal theorists.

as high court judge denning sentenced people death, said @ time didn t worry [him] in least . denning maintained murder, death appropriate penalty, , in cases mistakes had been made there appeals system. in 1950s there growing opposition use of death penalty, , royal commission appointed investigate abolishing it. denning told commission in 1953 punishment inflicted grave crimes should adequately reflect revulsion felt great majority of citizens them .

he later changed mind capital punishment, regarding unethical. in 1984 wrote right us, society, thing – hang man – none of individually prepared or witness? answer no, not in civilised society .