Maurice Drake

Sir Frederick Maurice Drake, DFC (15 February 1923 – 6 April 2014)[1] was a judge of the High Court of England and Wales who presided over several high-profile defamation cases in the 1990s including: Taylforth v News Group (1994) and Donovan v The Face (1993).

Sir

Maurice Drake

DFC
High Court Judge
In office
1978–1995
MonarchElizabeth II
Personal details
BornFebruary 15, 1923
DiedApril 6, 2014 (Aged 91)
Harpenden, United Kingdom
NationalityBritish
Children5
EducationSt George's School, Harpenden
Alma materExeter College, Oxford
OccupationJudge
ProfessionBarrister

Early life

Drake was the son of a wool merchant and was educated at St George's School, Harpenden, Hertfordshire before service in the Royal Air Force during World War II as a navigator initially with 96 Squadron but soon after with 255 Squadron. Whilst with 255, Drake flew night patrols in Bristol Beaufighter aircraft over Africa and Italy and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross following a number of successes against enemy aircraft.[2]

Career

Following the end of the war, Drake completed studies at Exeter College, Oxford in jurisprudence. He was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1950, joining 4 Paper Buildings, (later Hailsham Chambers) in Inner Temple. Drake later took silk. He was appointed a High Court Judge of the Queen’s Bench Division in 1978 where one of his first cases was the murder of Carl Bridgewater. The conviction was overturned in 1997[2]

As a High Court judge, Drake presided over several high-profile defamation cases in the 1990s including: Donovan v The Face (1993) and Taylforth v News Group (1994). In Gordon Angelsea v Observer, he admitted he had been a Freemason since the 1940s. In 1993, he granted an injunction to Princess Diana to prevent the publication of photographs taken without her consent whilst she was exercising.[3]

In 1991, Drake succeeded Sir Michael Davies as the judge in charge of the jury list. Following retirement in 1995, he continued to hear occasional cases.[2] In 1996, he agreed to stand aside from a trial because he was a Freemason.[4] He served as Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn in 1997. He also served as the Mayor of St Albans.

References
  1. Sir Maurice Drake at Hailsham Chambers Archived 6 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 6 May 2014
  2. "Sir Maurice Drake - obituary". Daily Telegraph. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  3. "Obituary: Sir Maurice Drake, former judge in charge of the jury list". Inforrm. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  4. "Masonic Judge Called In For Exodus Case". Squall Magazine. 1996. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
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