Brick Court Chambers

Sir Oliver Popplewell

Sir Oliver Popplewell

YEAR OF CALL: 1951    YEAR OF SILK: 1969

  • .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) a
  • View Clerking Team
  • PDF/PRINTc
  • Add To Shortlisth

Oliver Popplewell was one of England's most distinguished High Court Judges. He became the senior judge of the Queen's Bench Division, where the cases he tried ranged from murder to high-profile commercial and media trials. As the judge in charge of the Defamation list, he presided over cases such as the Jonathan Aitken and Al Fayed libel actions. He conducted the judicial inquiry into the fire at the Bradford football ground and problems of hooliganism, crowd control and safety at sports grounds. As a successful QC at the Bar, he acted for Thames Television and other media organisations, as well as appearing for many of the larger insurance companies in complex insurance claims In his judicial capacity, he was President of the Employment Appeal Tribunal and, as a member of the Wages Council, acquired considerable experience in resolving industrial disputes.

Currently, he acts as an arbitrator and mediator. He specializes in employment, insurance and sporting disputes and is a member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Lausanne) and the Sports Dispute Resolution Panel. He also acts in professional negligence and financial disputes and is a member of the LCIA and the City Disputes Panel. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a qualified mediator (CEDR accredited).

He was President of the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) in 1995 and 1996 and is a member of the MCC Disciplinary Panel.

Expand All
  • Arbitration M

    As an arbitrator and mediator, he specializes in employment, insurance and sporting disputes and is a member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Lausanne) and the Sports Dispute Resolution Panel. He also has wide experience in professional negligence and financial disputes, particularly in the accountancy field. He is a member of the LCIA and the City Disputes Panel. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a qualified mediator (CEDR accredited).

    He was President of the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) in 1995 and 1996 and is a member of the MCC Disciplinary Panel. He is the English Representative of the Anti-Corruption Unit of the International Cricket Council.

    His wide experience of commercial, legal and sporting life and his well-developed negotiation, communication and administrative skills are usefully deployed in arbitration and mediation proceedings.

  • Mediation M

    Sir Oliver Popplewell accepts appointments as a mediator.

  • Career & Qualifications M

    Qualifications

    M.A. (Cantab), LLB. (Cantab), B.A.(Oxon)

    Career

    1940 Scholar at Charterhouse School

    1946 Royal Navy

    1948 Exhibitioner of Queens' College, Cambridge

    1949-1951 Played for the Cambridge cricket team and awarded a blue in all 3 years.

    1950 B.A. Hons Cantab. (Law)

    1951 LL.B

    1951 Called to the Bar.

    1969 Queen's Counsel

    1969 Recorder of Burton on Trent. Deputy Chairman of Oxfordshire Quarter Sessions

    1971 A Recorder of the Crown Court

    1980 Member of the Aarvold Committee on Restricted Patients

    1983 High Court Judge

    1985 Chairman of the Bradford Inquiry into Crowd Control and Safety at Sports Grounds

    1986 President of the Employment Appeal Tribunal

    1986 Vice Chairman of the Parole Board

    1995-1996 President of the MCC

    1996 Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

    2000 Chartered Arbitrator and Mediator. Member of L.C.I.A.

    2000 Member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Lausanne)

    2000 Member of the Sports Dispute Resolution Panel

    2003 Autobiography "Benchmark" published

    October 2003 - June 2006 B.A. Hons Oxon (PPE),Harris Manchester College

    October 2008 a MA in the History of International Relations, London School of Economics