Charles Thomas Le Quesne

Charles Thomas Le Quesne (3 November 1885 – 22 November 1954), was a Jersey born, British Liberal Party politician and barrister.

Background

He was born in Saint Helier, Jersey, the son of Charles John Le Quesne. He was educated at Victoria College, Jersey and Exeter College, Oxford where he received a 1st class Honors in Mods in 1906 and a 1st class in Lit. Hum. in 1908. He married Eileen Gould. They had four sons and one daughter.[1]

He was called to the bar, at Inner Temple, in 1912. He took silk, becoming a King's Counsel in 1925.[2] In 1950, he returned to Jersey and was appointed Lieutenant Bailiff. Up to this point, the Royal Court's judgments were in the French style of jugements motivés, written in French by the Greffier rather than the judge, and expressing the reasons for the court's decision only very briefly. Le Quesne changed the language of judgments to English and adopted the common law style of judgments, where the judge gives detailed reasons for accepting or rejecting the rival submissions made at trial by counsel.[3]

Political career

In 1908 he was President of the Oxford Union.[4] He was a last minute Liberal candidate for the Hemel Hempstead Division of Hertfordshire at the 1929 General Election;

General Election 1929: Hemel Hempstead[5] Electorate 38,957
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Rt Hon. John Colin Campbell Davidson 15,145 49.8 -7.8
Liberal Charles Thomas Le Quesne 11,631 38.3 +2.8
Labour A E R Millar 3,624 11.9 +5.0
Majority 3,514 11.5
Turnout 78.0 -2.2
Unionist hold Swing -5.3

Following the formation of the National Government in 1931, an election was called. Le Quesne stood again as a Liberal in support of the government but his main opponent, the Conservative was also a supporter;[6]

General Election 1931: Hemel Hempstead[7] Electorate 42,267
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rt Hon. John Colin Campbell Davidson 21,946 67.2 +17.4
Liberal Charles Thomas Le Quesne 8,021 24.6 -13.7
Labour A E R Millar 2,677 8.2 -3.3
Majority 13,925 42.7 +31.2
Turnout 77.2 -0.8
Conservative hold Swing +15.5

In June 1936 he was elected to serve on the Liberal Party Council.[8] From 1946-47 he was President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland. He was made a Commander of the Dutch Order of Orange-Nassau.

References
  1. http://www.ukWhosWho.com
  2. http://www.ukWhosWho.com
  3. Attorney General v Weston 1979 Jersey Judgments 141.
  4. The Times House of Commons, 1929
  5. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F. W. S.
  6. The Times House of Commons, 1931
  7. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949, Craig, F. W. S.
  8. The Liberal Magazine, 1936

Portrait of Le Quesne at the National Portrait Gallery: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw102801/Charles-Thomas-Le-Quesne

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