HHJ David Griffith-Jones QC, a record-breaking skydiver with considerable expertise in Sports Law, will be offering his personal ‘Reflections on the Law’ for the Tucker Millward Guest Lecture at Kent next month.
The annual lecture, cohosted by Kent Law Society and Kent Law School, is open to all and will be held in Grimond Lecture Theatre 1 on Kent’s Canterbury campus at 6.30pm on Thursday 15 November.
Judge David Griffith-Jones QC was appointed a Circuit Judge at Maidstone Crown Court in 2007. Earlier this year he became Resident Judge and Honorary Recorder for Maidstone. He is a keen sportsman with interests in triathlon and golf and, this summer, was one of a group of skydivers who broke the UK, European and Commonwealth record for the number of skydivers over 60 in a completed formation (at 15,000ft over Lincolnshire). His interest in sport is reflected throughout his long legal career which includes: being a Committee Member of Bar Sportslaw Group from 1999 – 2007; joining the Sports Disputes Resolution Panel in 2000; and, as a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, serving on the Panel of Sports Arbitrators since 2002. He has also served as Chairman of the International Criminal Court’s Drugs Appeal Tribunal from 2004 – 2007 and was Chairman of the Lawn Tennis Association Appeals Committee from 2004 – 2006. He has been a contributor for Sport: Law and Practice, a major UK textbook on Sports Law, and is the author of Law and the Business of Sport (Butterworts, 1998).
The lecture will be preceded by refreshments, served in Grimond Foyer, from 6pm. All are welcome, and attendance is free, but attendees are asked to register in advance online.
This year’s Tucker Millward Lecture falls within the year in which Kent Law Society is celebrating its 200th anniversary and in which Kent Law School is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the graduation of the first cohort of law students at Kent.
Keith Tucker
Keith Tucker was a partner in the law practice of Gill Turner Tucker in Maidstone. He was made Honorary Secretary of the Kent Law Society in 1981 but sadly died in a car accident shortly afterwards. He left his widow, Marga and two children, Edward and Sarah.
Keith was a well respected and popular member of the Kent Law Society and had been active in the society and the community. His colleagues were shocked and saddened by his untimely demise and the members at the time felt that a lecture in his name would be a fitting memorial.
The memorial lectures commenced in 1983 and took place initially on alternate years organised by the Kent Law Society. From 1987 to date the lectures have been held at the University of Kent in Canterbury and have attracted many highly distinguished speakers who have provided thought provoking evenings on a variety of issues.
Since 2013 the Lecture has been hosted by the Kent Law School and the Society greatly values the ties between our organisations. Members of the legal profession in Kent have supported the award winning university law clinic which provides pro bono advice to local residents. Other KLS members act as judges for student mooting competitions.
The Kent Law Society and Kent Law School were pleased to host Keith’s widow Marga Tucker at the lecture almost every year from 1983 until her death in 2016.
Marga was always very supportive of the society’s work to support young people entering the profession. She was kindly encouraging of the need to review and adapt this event over the years to provide an enjoyable and forward looking evening. The lecture remains a treasured event in Kent Law Society’s calendar, providing both an important reminder of Keith Tucker and a valued opportunity to continue to strengthen links between the Kent Law Society and the University of Kent.
Edwina Millward
In 2017 the GPC of Kent Law Society and Kent Law School agreed to rename the lecture the Tucker Millward Lecture following the death of Edwina Millward.
Edwina was a retired District Judge who sat in Kent and former President of Kent Law Society. Edwina was partners with Keith Tucker all those years ago and she and Marga enjoyed catching up each year.
In recent years Edwina kindly acted as one of the Judges of the annual Kent Law Society awards and had done so only weeks before her untimely death. She supported the society and its members over many years.
Edwina was the first female President of the Association of District Judges. Originally a domestic science teacher she was encouraged by her Head Teacher to retrain as a lawyer and provide an example of diversity and trailblazing in the Judicial world of Kent!
Her husband David reports that Edwina would have been very proud of this honour and we hope to welcome him to the event for many years to come.