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Brian Langstaff

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The Honourable
Sir Brian Langstaff
Justice of the High Court
In office
3 October 2005 – 30 April 2018
President of the Employment Appeal Tribunal
In office
1 January 2012 – 31 December 2015
Preceded byMr Justice Underhill
Succeeded byMrs Justice Simler
Personal details
Born
Brian Frederick James Langstaff

(1948-04-30) 30 April 1948 (age 76)
NationalityBritish
Spouse
Deborah Weatherup
​
(m. 1975)​
Alma materSt Catharine's College, Cambridge

Sir Brian Frederick James Langstaff (born 30 April 1948) is a British judge. Called to the Bar at the Middle Temple, he served as a High Court judge from 2005 to 2018 as Mr Justice Langstaff, and was the president of the Employment Appeal Tribunal from 2012 to 2015.

From 2018 to 2024, Langstaff chaired the Infected Blood Inquiry, which investigated the causes and effects of the contaminated blood scandal in the United Kingdom from the 1970s to the 1990s. In his seven-volume final report, Langstaff found that the scandal could "largely, though not entirely, have been avoided", and that successive governments and the National Health Service covered up the risk to patients who received infected blood products.

Early life and education

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Langstaff was born on 30 April 1948 to Frederick and Muriel Langstaff (née Griffin). He was educated at George Heriot's School, Edinburgh, and then at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. Before his legal career, he worked in Sri Lanka with VSO in 1966 and 1967.[1]

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In 1971, Langstaff was called to the Bar of England and Wales at the Middle Temple, where he received the Harmsworth Scholarship in 1975. He became a bencher of the Middle Temple in 2001.[1] Langstaff was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1994,[2] and became a recorder for the South Eastern Circuit in 1995.[3]

Langstaff was appointed a justice of the High Court on 3 October 2005[4] and assigned to the Queen's Bench Division.[5] He became the president of the Employment Appeal Tribunal from 1 January 2012, succeeding Mr Justice Underhill,[6] and was succeeded by Mrs Justice Simler on 1 January 2016.[7][8]

Langstaff was appointed on 8 February 2018 to chair the Infected Blood Inquiry, which investigated the contaminated blood scandal in the United Kingdom during the 1970s to the 1990s. He retired from the High Court on 30 April 2018[9][10] to work full-time on the inquiry.[11] In an interim report published in July 2022, Langstaff concluded that the 4,000 victims were provisionally entitled to £100,000 each and the payments ought to be made quickly.[12][13]

Notable cases

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  • Thompson v Arnold (2007) Legal case concerning damages already awarded where death ensued
  • Van Wees v Karkour (2007) Road traffic accident personal injury case with significance for the assessment of damages

Personal life

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Langstaff married Deborah Weatherup in 1975. They have a son and a daughter.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Langstaff, Hon. Sir Brian (Frederick James)". Who's Who. A & C Black. 2023. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U23796. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ "No. 53646". The London Gazette. 19 April 1994. p. 5807.
  3. ^ "No. 53942". The London Gazette. 1 February 1995. p. 1439.
  4. ^ "No. 57779". The London Gazette. 7 October 2005. p. 12971.
  5. ^ Whitaker's Almanack 2012. Bloomsbury Publishing. 2011. p. 318. ISBN 9781408130124. Retrieved 18 September 2021. Law Courts and Offices: Hon. Sir Brian Langstaff, born 1948, apptd 2005.
  6. ^ "New President of the Employment Appeal Tribunal appointed". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. 30 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2 December 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  7. ^ "Mrs Justice Simler appointed as President of the Employment Appeal Tribunal". Employment Cases Update. 17 December 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  8. ^ "About the Employment Appeal Tribunal". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Senior Judiciary". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  10. ^ "High Court: Retirement of The Honourable Sir Brian Frederick James Langstaff". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. 1 May 2018. Archived from the original on 1 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  11. ^ "The Chair". Infected Blood Inquiry. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Infected blood victims set for £400m in compensation". BBC News. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Infected blood victims 'should be paid £100,000 each without delay'". The Daily Telegraph. London. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022. In an interim report, Sir Brian Langstaff said payments should be made "without delay" to those infected or to their bereaved partners.
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