Sir Derek Harold Spencer, QC (born 31 March, 1936[1]), is a British Conservative politician.
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Career
Born in Clitheroe, Lancashire, he became a barrister in 1961 and 'took silk' as a QCin 1980[2].
Spencer became MP for the Leicester South constituency in the Conservative landslide of 1983[1], by just 7 votes — the smallest margin in the country. He lost the seat back to Labour in 1987
Then he was elected for the marginal Brighton Pavilion seat in 1992 – when he was knighted and appointed Solicitor-General.
As solicitor general he represented the government in several significant cases including Wingrove v UK (1997) about the application of blasphemy law under the Human Rights Act 1998.
In 1997[1], however, he was defeated by Labour's David Lepper by 13,181 votes on a 16% swing.
He is a Master of the Benche, Gray's Inn.
Memberships
- Ex-officio Bar Council, 1992-1997
- Criminal Bar Association
- Northern Ireland Bar
- South Eastern Circuit
Family
He has three sons and one daughter. His second wife Caroline died on 10 January 2003 of a heart attack.
References
- ^ a b c "Hansard record". http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/people/mr-derek-spencer. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
- ^ "18 Red Lion Court - Biography". http://www.18redlioncourt.co.uk/index.php/barristers/spencer/80. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jim Marshall |
Member of Parliament for Leicester South 1983–1987 |
Succeeded by Jim Marshall |
| Preceded by Julian Amery |
Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion 1992–1997 |
Succeeded by David Lepper |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by Nicholas Lyell |
Solicitor General for England and Wales 1992–1997 |
Succeeded by Charles Falconer |
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