Sir William Eric Beckett, KCMG, QC (20 October 1896 – 27 August 1966) was a British international lawyer who served as Legal Adviser to the Foreign Office from 1945 to 1953.[1]
He was called to the bar by the Inner Temple in 1922, joined the Foreign Office as assistant legal adviser in 1925, and was promoted second legal adviser in 1929. He played a key role in the 1930 League of Nations Codification Conference and in relation to the abolition of the capitulatory regime in Egypt in 1934.[2] He advised the British government during the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, and played an important part in the first three assemblies of the United Nations.[2]
Beckett became Legal Adviser to the Foreign Office in 1945, succeeding Sir William Malkin. As Legal Adviser, Beckett was responsible for a heavy litigation program involving the United Kingdom. He led the British legal team in the Corfu Channel case, the Anglo-Norwegian Fisheries case, and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company case, and participated in many others. He retired due to illness in 1953.[2]
Beckett became a CMG in 1931, a King's Counsel in 1946 and was promoted to KCMG in 1948.
Familyedit
Beckett married Katharine Mary Richards, younger daughter of the international lawyer Sir Henry Erle Richards, in 1925; they had two sons and one daughter.[2]
Referencesedit
^Fitzmaurice, G. G.; Vallat, F. A. (1968). "Sir (William) Eric Beckett, K. C. M. G., Q. C. (1896-1966): An Appreciation". The International and Comparative Law Quarterly. 17 (2): 267–326. ISSN 0020-5893.
eric, beckett, william, kcmg, october, 1896, august, 1966, british, international, lawyer, served, legal, adviser, foreign, office, from, 1945, 1953, contents, biography, family, references, external, linksbiography, editbeckett, born, hawarden, flintshire, la. Sir William Eric Beckett KCMG QC 20 October 1896 27 August 1966 was a British international lawyer who served as Legal Adviser to the Foreign Office from 1945 to 1953 1 Contents 1 Biography 2 Family 3 References 4 External linksBiography editBeckett was born in Hawarden Flintshire the son of a land agent He was educated at Sherborne School before serving with the 3rd Gattalion Cheshire Regiment during the First World War He served in France Salonika and the Caucasus and reached the rank of captain He then entered Wadham College Oxford where he was a scholar took first class honours in Jurisprudence and won the Eldon Law Scholarship 2 He was elected a prize fellow of All Souls College Oxford in 1921 2 He was called to the bar by the Inner Temple in 1922 joined the Foreign Office as assistant legal adviser in 1925 and was promoted second legal adviser in 1929 He played a key role in the 1930 League of Nations Codification Conference and in relation to the abolition of the capitulatory regime in Egypt in 1934 2 He advised the British government during the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944 and played an important part in the first three assemblies of the United Nations 2 Beckett became Legal Adviser to the Foreign Office in 1945 succeeding Sir William Malkin As Legal Adviser Beckett was responsible for a heavy litigation program involving the United Kingdom He led the British legal team in the Corfu Channel case the Anglo Norwegian Fisheries case and the Anglo Iranian Oil Company case and participated in many others He retired due to illness in 1953 2 Beckett became a CMG in 1931 a King s Counsel in 1946 and was promoted to KCMG in 1948 Family editBeckett married Katharine Mary Richards younger daughter of the international lawyer Sir Henry Erle Richards in 1925 they had two sons and one daughter 2 References edit Fitzmaurice G G Vallat F A 1968 Sir William Eric Beckett K C M G Q C 1896 1966 An Appreciation The International and Comparative Law Quarterly 17 2 267 326 ISSN 0020 5893 a b c d e f Ian Brownlie Beckett Sir William Eric Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 64538 Subscription or UK public library membership required External links editPortraits of Sir William Eric Beckett at the National Portrait Gallery London Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Eric Beckett amp oldid 1178813320, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
