Born 2nd January 1923 at Wallasey, Cheshire,
England, the only son of Thomas Roscoe Bennion of Liverpool and his wife
Ellen Norah Bennion of Manchester.
Balliol College Oxford Jenkyns
Law Prize, Younger Prize, Paton Memorial Studentship.
Middle Temple Harmsworth
Scholarship.
Family
Married (1) 28 July 1951 Barbara Elisabeth
Braendle of Little Hadham, Herts (dissolved 1975), 3 daughters: Alexandra
Sarah 1954, Carola Elisabeth 1956, Venetia Mary 1960;
(2) 2 November 1977 Mary Anne Field
(widow of Dr William Field of Harley Street W1), née Lynch, of Limerick
City, Ireland; no issue.
3. An editor of HALSBURY'S STATUTES with
Butterworths 1948.
4. Lecturer and tutor in law, St Edmund
Hall in the University of Oxford 1951-53.
5. Practice at the Bar of England and
Wales 1951-1994 (except 1965-73), including office as Parliamentary Counsel
(drafting UK government legislation) 1953-65 and 1973-75.
7. Co-founder 1968 and first chairman
1968-1972, emeritus chairman 1972 to date, Professional Association of Teachers.
8. Founder 1968 and first chairman 1968-72,
Vice president 1986 to date, World of Property Housing Trust (now Sanctuary
Housing Association).
9. Freelance consultant to Jamaica Government
and others on Constitutional Law and Tax Law 1968-1981.
10. Lecturer, official Commonwealth
legislative drafting course, Marlborough House, 1965.
11. Lecturer, Council of Legal Education
1982-1983 (lectures to Bar students on Statutory Interpretation).
12. Member of the Law Faculty of the
University of Oxford and Congregation, 1984-2002. (retired on reaching age
limit).
13. Research associate, University of
Oxford Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, 1984 to date.
As a constitutional lawyer, has advised at
various times the governments of the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Ghana, Jamaica
and Gibraltar. Drafted constitutions for Pakistan (1956) and Ghana (1959-1961)
on those countries attaining the status of independent republics. In UK
drafted legislation including Consumer Credit Act 1974, Sex Discrimination
Act 1975, and many other Acts.
Founder of various bodies:
(1) Registered charities:
Statute Law Society 1968.
World of Property Housing Trust (now
Sanctuary Housing Association) 1968.
(Chairman 1968-72, Vice-President 1986
to date).
Dicey Trust 1973.
Towards One World 1979.
Areopagitica Educational Trust 1979
(co-founder).
Statute Law Trust 1992.
(2) Other bodies:
Professional Association of Teachers.
(Co-founder 1968 and first chairman 1968-1972).
