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Peter Carter-Ruck

English solicitor (1914–2003)

Field	Value
name	Peter Carter-Ruck
image	PCarterRuck.jpg
birth_name	Peter Frederick Carter-Ruck
birth_date
birth_place	Steyning, Sussex, England
death_date
death_place	Great Hallingbury, Uttlesford, Essex, England
nationality	British
known_for	Specialising in libel cases
education	St Edward's School, Oxford
employer	Carter-Ruck
occupation	Solicitor
spouse
children	2

Peter Frederick Carter-Ruck (26 February 1914 – 19 December 2003) was an English solicitor, specialising in libel cases. The firm he founded, Carter-Ruck, is still practising.

Biography

Personal life

Carter-Ruck was educated at St Edward's School, Oxford. He spent three months in Germany during the 1930s, observing the rising popularity of Adolf Hitler and attending a rally in Freiburg. Upon his return, he trained and qualified as a solicitor.

His daughter Julie Scott-Bayfield also became a libel lawyer.

Career

He was Senior Partner, Oswald Hickson, Collier & Co (1945–1981) until he founded and was Senior Partner of his own eponymous firm, Peter Carter-Ruck and Partners (1981–1998). He was Chairman, Law Society Law Reform Committee (1980–1983) and a Fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies (1998–2003).

Carter-Ruck's first major case was defending the Bolton Evening News successfully against a libel action brought by the Labour MP Bessie Braddock, who, the paper had claimed, had danced a jig in Parliament.

In December 1995, Carter-Ruck acted for the royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke in the matter of an allegation by Diana, Princess of Wales, that Legge-Bourke had aborted a pregnancy in which Prince Charles was the father.

Criticism

In 1980, the Daily Express editor Derek Jameson was advised by Carter-Ruck that if he sued the BBC over their portrayal of him in a Week Ending sketch, he would win at least £25,000 in damages. The barrister in the case, David Eady QC, however advised Carter-Ruck to accept the BBC's offer to settle for £10 plus costs. Carter-Ruck did not disclose this advice to his client. The jury found the broadcast defamatory, but also fair comment and Jameson had to pay costs,{{cite news

Personal life

A yachtsman, he owned a succession of boats which he christened Fair Judgment. He was a member of the Law Society Yacht Club, the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the Royal Yacht Squadron, and the Garrick.
Carter-Ruck was the founder-governor of Shiplake College at Henley.

References

Wade, Alex. (22 December 2003). "Peter Carter-Ruck – Eminent libel lawyer with a reputation for aggressive tactics". [[The Independent]].
Morton, James. (23 December 2003). "Obituary: Peter Carter-Ruck – Scourge of Private Eye and master of the libel laws". [[The Guardian]].
(12 February 1996). "Diana Draws Blood Lashing out at Tiggy brings a legal warning and enrages the Queen". [[Time (magazine).

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1914-births 2003-deaths people-educated-at-st-edward's-school,-oxford english-solicitors 20th-century-english-lawyers people-from-steyning

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