Morris Finer

Sir Morris Finer QC (1917–1974) was a British lawyer and judge.

Morris Finer, 1974

As a young barrister Finer also wrote leaders for the London Evening Standard. He was called to the Bar in 1943 and became a Queen's Counsel in 1963 and was elected a Master of the Bench of Gray's Inn in 1971. He was made a judge in 1972.

As a commercial lawyer Finer was involved in several prominent cases, including acting for three of the Beatles: John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Apple Corps Ltd over the management of the Beatles in 1971.

He was chairman of the Cinematograph Films Council and a governor and, later, vice chairman of the board of governors of the London School of Economics.

In 1967 Finer chaired a committee that included Anthony Lester, Sir Geoffrey Bindman and Michael Zander, for the Society of Labour Lawyers. The resulting report was published as Justice For All in 1968.

Under Finer's chairmanship the Finer Report on One Parent Families was published in the early 1970s and he was subsequently appointed chairman of the Royal Commission on the Press but died at 57 before its completion.

A Morris Finer Memorial Scholarship is established at the London School of Economics.

Additional information about Finer appears in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. A painting of him by Stephen Finer is in the collection of Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, Sussex.