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ABOUT FB

. . CV

. . Autobiographical

. . Life photos

 

WRITINGS BY FB

. . Chronological

. . Complete list

. . The Bennion Code

. . Other FB books

. . FB articles etc.

. . FB press letters

. . Book reviews

. . Topics

. . Blogs

. . Archive

. . Acts mentioned

. . People mentioned

 

WRITINGS BY OTHERS

. . Chronological

. . Index

. . Press cuttings

. . Reviews-FB books

. .

OTHER MATERIAL

. . Photographs

. . Other images

. . Audio and video

 

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Acrobat reader

This personal site is based in England. It was created on 9 November 1999 and mainly comprises downloadable books, articles and other writings by Francis Bennion, of which there are currently 955: see Chronological in left sidebar below. In 2011 this site was added to the Bodleian Library archive as being 'of lasting research value and worthy of permanent preservation for the benefit of historians and researchers'. The site was last updated 25 January 2012

FB's shout:

 

Disgraceful pollution of St Paul’s Cathedral

I am still reeling after reading the 49-page judgment delivered by Mr Justice Lindblom in the St Paul’s Cathedral case (report, 19 January 2012). Anyone who still sympathises with those responsible for the illegal protest camp in this holy place needs to [learn the full facts by] read[ing] and absorb[ing] it. I can recall no other example of such flagrant contempt for the public good in all its aspects.

The judge recited the shocking facts in pitiless detail[; I cannot attempt a summary in a letter]. He made the order sought, terminating the nuisance. I have only one objection to the judge’s decision. Discussing the possibility of a prosecution, he dismissed this on the ground that the penalty on conviction would be only a fine. In fact[, as I informed the City of London Police on November 2 last,] a prosecution for conspiracy to contravene section 137 of the Highways Act 1980 could be brought under the Criminal Law Act 1977 and here imprisonment could be awarded on conviction.

 

Published in The Times 23 January 2012 (passages in square brackets omitted). The case cited was The Mayor, Commonality And Citizens Of The City Of London v Samede and Ors. [2012] EWHC 34 (QB).

Guide to FB's website

 

Click on this link for a short pdf 'slideshow' on how to use this website.

 

Move from slide to slide using the scroll bar on the right.

FB's Video Blogs on YouTube

No.6: Teachers' Pensions: a Comment on the One-Day Strike

No.5: Unison Threatens the Government

No.4: Teachers' Pensions: A flight from Reason

No.3: House of Lords Reform

No.2: Expert Exposes the Danger of AV

No.1: The Dishonesty of the Alternative Vote System

Latest additions to this site

 

Disgraceful pollution of St Paul’s Cathedral (25 Jan 2012)

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FB's birthday (2 Jan 2012)

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Letter regarding Baroness Onora O’Neill’s Second Annual Jurisprudence Lecture (20 Dec 2011)

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Legal meaning of Consumer Credit Act 1974 s. 61(1) (20 Dec 2011)

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St Paul’s and the rule of law (17 Nov 2011)

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Strasbourg Judgments Bind the UK (31 Oct 2011)

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Unemployment and the laws of nature (26 Oct 2011)

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Pressure on private schools to help state schools (13 Oct 2011)

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Reform of bar practices (13 Sep 2011)

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About Francis Bennion . . .

Born 2 January 1923 in Cheshire, England, FB remains active as a writer and academic. At his Devon home, using the internet, he writes or updates his books and articles, does occasional broadcasts, and, with around 150 letters in the Times, as well as many in other newspapers and journals, spreads his opinions on many matters of public concern. Since 1984 he has been a research associate of the Oxford University Centre for Socio-Legal Studies.

During World War II, FB served as a volunteer RAF pilot. He then read law at Balliol and was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple. He became law tutor at St Edmund Hall Oxford, last of the medieval halls. He then practised at the Bar in common law and human rights cases. Later he served 14 years in the Westminster Parliamentary Counsel Office drafting Acts of Parliament for the British Government.

In 1956 FB drafted the constitution by which Pakistan became a republic. Then in 1960 he drafted the constitution by which Ghana became a republic. His first book, explaining the Ghana constitution, followed in 1962.

In the 1960s FB served as chief executive of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and wrote Professional Ethics. He has also written a book, The Sex Code, on sexual ethics.

In 1971-72 FB brought a private prosecution against Peter Hain. After a 10-day Old Bailey trial Hain was convicted of criminal conspiracy to organise illegal direct action protests. His appeal was rejected.

In 1984 FB published his main work, Statutory Interpretation. The fifth edition of this, totalling over 1700 pages, was published in 2008.

FB has founded or co-founded various bodies including the World of Property Housing Trust, Towards One World, the Professional Association of Teachers, the Statute Law Society, the Statute Law Trust, Freedom Under Law, the Dicey Trust, Areopagitica Educational Trust and Towards One World.

FB’s books

 

Law books

by Francis Bennion

FB's Lifetime Achievements

What people say . . .

‘The views of one eloquent spokesman for this “leave-it-all-to-the lawyers” tendency, Francis Bennion (a former parliamentary counsel), are worth quoting, especially as he has done much to further the cause of law reform . . .’"

Martin Cutts

This changes daily.See also my four other daily quotations .

Poetic thought for today

FB's poetic thought for 27 January 2012 is from his book, POEMOTIONS:
Democracy is not a house of cards:
it takes longer to build up than that.

Epistolary thought for today

FB's epistolary thought for 27 January 2012 is from his Times letters:
What Mary Whitehouse thinks is the 'true public good' is not necessarily what people in general, as represented by juries, think it is. (1977)

Review extract for today

The extract for 27 January 2012 from a review of FB's book STATUTORY INTERPRETATION is:
' . . the book retains its unique place as a well from which all concerned with statutory interpretation must regularly quaff'- Professor W A Wilson

See the complete collection of 31 extracts

Moral thought for today

FB's moral thought for 27 January 2012 is :
We are nowadays urged to inclusiveness, but some would prefer to exclude from their inner lives those who don't share their values.