Sir Gavin Lightman
- March 2, 2020
- 80 years
About Sir Gavin Lightman
Sir Gavin Lightman, 80, English judge.
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Full Biography
|Sir Gavin Anthony Lightman (20 December 1939 – 2 March 2020) was a judge of the English High Court of Justice, Chancery Division, since 1994. He retired from office as a High Court judge on 10 January 2008 and was later the chairman of Harbour Litigation Funding's Investment Committee.
He was the son of Harold Lightman and the brother of Stafford Lightman.
On his appointment to the High Court of Justice in 1994, Lightman became its first observant Jewish judge to receive permission not to sit on Shabbat or Jewish holidays.Baksi, Catherine (6 August 2020). "Sir Gavin Lightman obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
Education
- University College, London (LLB 1st class Hons 1961; Fellow, 2002)
- University of Michigan (LLM)
Career
- Faculty of Law, University of Sheffield, 1962
- Called to the Bar, Lincoln's Inn, 1963, Bencher 1987; QC 1980
- Judge of the Crown Office 1995- (now Administrative Court)
- Judge of the Restrictive Practices Court 1997-2001
- Elected Fellow of University College of London. 2002
- Accreditation by CEDR as a Mediator. 2007
- Elected Treasurer of Lincoln’s Inn from 2008-2009.
- Resumed practice at Serle Court. 2008
- Elected President of The Association of European Judges Committed to Mediation (GEMME). 2009
Other positions
- Vice President, Anglo-Jewish Association, 1995- (Dep. Pres., 1986–92)
- Chairman: Education Committee, Anglo Jewish Association, 1986–94
- Chairman: Education Committee, Hillel House, 1992-96 (Vice-Pres., 1996-)
- Chairman: Legal Friends, University of Haifa, 1990- (Governor, 1994
- Chairman: Leonard Sainer Legal Education Foundation, 2000-
- Patron: Commonwealth Jewish Council, 1994-2000 (Chm., 2000-)
- Patron: Hammerson Home, 1996-
- Patron: British Fulbright Scholars Association (BFSA), 2008-
- Treasurer: Lincoln's Inn, 2008
- Chairman: Investment Committee, Harbour Litigation Funding (2010–present)[1]
Arms
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_Lightman
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Sir Gavin Lightman's archived record and the sources above.
1.On what date was Sir Gavin Lightman born?
- A.6 August 1940
- B.10 January 2008
- C.20 December 1939correct
- D.2 March 2020
Sir Gavin Anthony Lightman was born on 20 December 1939.
Source: Biography introduction
2.Who was the brother of Sir Gavin Lightman?
- A.Stafford Lightmancorrect
- B.Leonard Sainer
- C.Harold Lightman
- D.Gavin Lightman
Sir Gavin Lightman was the brother of Stafford Lightman.
Source: Biography introduction
3.At which institution did Sir Gavin Lightman earn an LLM degree?
- A.University of Sheffield
- B.University of Haifa
- C.University of Michigancorrect
- D.University College, London
Sir Gavin Lightman earned his LLM at the University of Michigan.
Source: Education section
4.In what year was Sir Gavin Lightman called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn?
- A.1961
- B.1980
- C.1962
- D.1963correct
Sir Gavin Lightman was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1963.
Source: Career section
5.What historic permission was granted to Sir Gavin Lightman upon his 1994 appointment to the High Court of Justice?
- A.Permission to serve as a mediator while sitting
- B.Permission to wear non-traditional robes
- C.Permission not to sit on Shabbat or Jewish holidayscorrect
- D.Permission to work from home
Sir Gavin Lightman became the first observant Jewish judge on the High Court to receive permission not to sit on Shabbat or Jewish holidays.
Source: Biography introduction
6.When did Sir Gavin Lightman officially retire from his office as a High Court judge?
- A.1 January 1994
- B.2 March 2020
- C.20 December 2009
- D.10 January 2008correct
Sir Gavin Lightman retired from office as a High Court judge on 10 January 2008.
Source: Biography introduction
7.Sir Gavin Lightman served as a judge of which court from 1997 to 2001?
- A.The Crown Office
- B.The Chancery Division
- C.The Restrictive Practices Courtcorrect
- D.The Administrative Court
Sir Gavin Lightman was a judge of the Restrictive Practices Court from 1997 to 2001.
Source: Career section
8.What position did Sir Gavin Lightman hold at Harbour Litigation Funding after his retirement?
- A.Chairman of the Investment Committeecorrect
- B.Patron
- C.Legal Mediator
- D.President
Sir Gavin Lightman was later the chairman of Harbour Litigation Funding's Investment Committee.
Source: Biography introduction
9.Sir Gavin Lightman was elected to which prestigious administrative role at Lincoln's Inn for 2008-2009?
- A.Chairman of the Board
- B.President of the Association
- C.Bencher
- D.Treasurercorrect
Sir Gavin Lightman was elected Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn from 2008-2009.
Source: Career section
10.In what year did Sir Gavin Lightman become a Queen's Counsel (QC)?
- A.1994
- B.1963
- C.1987
- D.1980correct
Sir Gavin Lightman was appointed QC in 1980.
Source: Career section
11.Sir Gavin Lightman served as the Chairman of the Education Committee for which organization between 1986 and 1994?
- A.Leonard Sainer Legal Education Foundation
- B.Anglo-Jewish Associationcorrect
- C.Commonwealth Jewish Council
- D.Hillel House
Sir Gavin Lightman was Chairman of the Education Committee for the Anglo-Jewish Association from 1986 to 1994.
Source: Other positions section
12.Which professional accreditation did Sir Gavin Lightman receive in 2007?
- A.Accreditation by CEDR as a Mediatorcorrect
- B.Accreditation as an Arbitrator
- C.Accreditation as a Solicitor
- D.Accreditation by the University of Haifa
Sir Gavin Lightman received accreditation by CEDR as a Mediator in 2007.
Source: Career section
13.Sir Gavin Lightman was elected President of which organization in 2009?
- A.The Anglo-Jewish Association
- B.The Commonwealth Jewish Council
- C.The British Fulbright Scholars Association
- D.The Association of European Judges Committed to Mediationcorrect
Sir Gavin Lightman was elected President of The Association of European Judges Committed to Mediation in 2009.
Source: Career section
14.What is the name of the foundation for which Sir Gavin Lightman became Chairman in 2000?
- A.The Leonard Sainer Legal Education Foundationcorrect
- B.The Harbour Litigation Foundation
- C.The Fulbright Scholars Foundation
- D.Hillel House Foundation
Sir Gavin Lightman served as Chairman of the Leonard Sainer Legal Education Foundation starting in 2000.
Source: Other positions section
15.At which institution did Sir Gavin Lightman begin his teaching career in 1962?
- A.University College, London
- B.University of Michigan
- C.University of Haifa
- D.University of Sheffieldcorrect
Sir Gavin Lightman was at the Faculty of Law, University of Sheffield, in 1962.
Source: Career section
16.What was the date of Sir Gavin Lightman's death?
- A.20 December 2019
- B.6 August 2020
- C.2 March 2020correct
- D.10 January 2008
Sir Gavin Lightman died on 2 March 2020.
Source: Biography introduction
People who died on March 2
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