Who is duncan lustig-prean?

Answer 1

Duncan Lustig-Prean was a British naval officer who was dismissed from the Armed Forces after his homosexuality was discovered. He then led the campaign to change the law in the United Kingdom and Europe and was the lead test case of four which went through the British Courts to the European Court of Human Rights between 1995 and 2000. Then Lieutenant Commander Duncan Lustig-Prean was gay and was dismissed from the Royal Navy. He alleged that this, together with the intrusive nature of the investigations conducted by the Military Police into his sexuality, violated his right to privacy under Article 8 ECHR in connection with Article 14 ECHR.

Judgment

The European Court of Human Rights held that Commodore Lustig Prean was unjustly treated, and he won his case. The UK government immediately suspended discharging homosexuals and within months had changed the law. Being an ECHR judgement the impact was felt by all signatory nations of the Convention as well as aspirant nations of the European Union.

Biography of Lustig-Prean

Born of an highly aristocratic Austro-Hungarian family - a minor Royal [2]- Lustig-Prean comes from a long line of Fields Marshal and Generals.[2] His first job while at college was picking litter off beaches. He then had a "glittering career" in the Royal Navy.[citation needed] Again declining the gift of the "silver spoon", in 1979 he joined as an Able Seaman (Radio Operator Tactical) and worked his way through the ranks gaining much admiration and respect from those who served with him.[citation needed]

He did not use any of his family titles[citation needed] though on occasion as a Junior Rating (Ordinary Seaman), he took delight in wearing more inherited Orders and Decorations than inspecting Admirals. Later he was to become more considerate and always wore one neck order less than his Admiral. His habit of teasing was apparent early in his career.

While in officer training he once accidentally failed to salute a Lieutenant. The officer demanded that Lustig-Prean write down the regulations about salutes. Lustig-Prean, a mere Sub-Lieutenant at the time, knew that the same regulations required officers of any rank to salute Royalty, much to the officer's confusion, he demanded "No you go and write out the rules for me." The Lieutenant presented Lustig-Prean with his hand-written apology and copy of the rules. Lustig-Prean treated him to dinner. He and the Lieutenant became firm friends.

By 1994 he had become a senior officer on his own merit. He saw active service in most trouble spots in the world from the Falkland Islands, to Northern Ireland and the Gulf, as well as many peace-keeping operations.

Throughout his service in the navy and at sea he gained numerous commendations for bravery and leadership. Noted for leading by example and from the front, he was regarded as an "outstanding officer destined for the highest ranks". In Court the Ministry of Defence stated that "he was to become the youngest Admiral since Nelson".[citation needed]

He wrote the initial proposals allowing women full career opportunities in the military and he investigated racial discrimination in the forces. He was regarded as a superb staff officer and an outstanding front line commander.

He was highly acclaimed as a logistician and had wide experience of maintaining long supply lines in the Falklands and elsewhere. He was the Group Logistics Officer of several Task Forces. He was a strident advocate of the importance of creating and defending adequate supply lines. He recognised that this was vital to support the front line and he was cautious about over-reaching resources in the front by lack of supplies. He was known to storm into ship's Operation Rooms and switch off systems during exercises if Commanders or Operation's Officers had failed to appreciate that need to re-fuel and re-ammunition during "paper-play". Yet he was by no means a cautious Commander and was prepared to take huge risks for operational or strategic gain.

Admiral Sir John Webster described him in cricketing terms as "a first class all rounder".

He was nicknamed "Commander Bollocks" because of his habit of using that word, not quite under his breath, while attending meetings with senior officers or the Admiralty Board when they made decisions he regarded as ill-considered. One Admiral has said that, "more than once we reconsidered our position when Lustig-Prean muttered his expletives"! Admiral Sir Alan Gross said in his memoirs that Lustig-Prean was the "only member of my staff prepared to tell me what I did not want to hear". His assessments describe him as "a dynamic, inspirational yet conciliatory leader".[citation needed]

Acclaimed for his ability to think "outside the box" and, as one report said for "not being afraid to challenge established procedures if he thinks them to be wrong", he was a refreshingly dynamic and forthright staff officer at a time when Admiral's staffs were all too often made up of "yes men" who feared their masters.

Admiral Gross[citation needed] recounts an example of Lustig-Prean's irreverence. Lustig-Prean, the Admiral's Staff Secretary, had, by chance, met Admiral Webster at a marina in Plymouth. Webster declined to shake Lustig-Prean's hand because the Admiral had just been unblocking his yacht's heads (toilet). When Lustig-Prean got back to HQ he told Gross about meeting his predecessor. Admiral Gross asked him what Admiral Webster was doing after his retirement. Lustig-Prean told the Admiral "Funnily enough Sir, he is doing the same job as me these days!"

In 1994 after a hugely successful period as a Lieutenant Commander in Supply Charge at sea, he was appointed as Military Assistant to the Prime Minister[citation needed] but following his principled rejection of a blackmail attempt he was dismissed for being gay.

He led the successful campaign in Europe to allow homosexuals to serve in the Armed Forces from 1995-2000 and was one of the four test cases at the European Court of Human Rights. The impact of his success resulted in a transformation of homosexual rights throughout the UK and Europe and led to major legal changes and advances. Historians credit his work as directly leading to wider equality.[citation needed] Although yet to be achieved, it is considered inevitable that USA policy will be forced to follow.

Lustig-Prean also wrote the new policy for "gays in the military" and was in regular discussion with the Ministry of Defense throughout the case so that implementation after the law changed has been regarded as a trouble free success by all the Chiefs of Staff.

After winning the case he returned to sea and commanded salvage tugs and other "specialist" ships later becoming Commodore (Rear Admiral).[citation needed] A "sailor's captain", his men often volunteered to move ship or unit to stay with him, though he was by no means a 'soft touch' requiring the utmost from his crew. He once said that his crew followed him "merely out of curiosity". Crewmen say that Lustig-Prean was a demanding Captain but a very fair man who played as hard as he worked and who fought hard for the welfare of his crew and their families. One is quoted as saying "Serving in Lustig-Prean's ships was the best nightmare I have ever had".[citation needed]

Among several major rescue operations[citation needed] he demonstrated dazzling ship-handling ability when rescuing the crew of a cargo ship bringing his ship alongside in a storm several times to take each member off despite the ferocious winds and enormous seas before taking the ship in tow and saving her. When the press pointed out that he had not even scratched the paintwork of his ship Lustig-Prean replied that he was "anxious to save the cost of repainting and his crew needed a day off anyway".

He was a founder member and Chair of the Equality Alliance, an umbrella organization empowering and bringing together diverse groups to coordinate effort and provide mutual campaign support and advice.

He also was a founder member of the Metropolitan Police Racial and Violent Crime Task Force Advisory Panel which led the way in transforming policing of those issues.

He is a past Secretary to the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee.

His varied civilian career demonstrates his "principled commitment to people and human rights"[citation needed] having played very senior roles in Liberty (a human rights campaign group) and Bindman and Partners (human rights attorneys).

He is credited with "restoring industry confidence in regulation" while Deputy Director General of the Advertising Standards Authority while also "restoring the confidence of consumer groups", a seemingly impossible combination.[citation needed]

Lustig-Prean's politics remain an enigma. A vocal and active supporter of the rights of working people, he is a business owner. He was known to be an opponent of the invasion of Iraq yet he is a very strong supporter of the USA. He has never disclosed his personal politics.

He is regarded as an exceptional and gifted speaker and communicator. This "charismatic campaigner" is also a noted author and correspondent and has written widely and variedly from children's stories, opera libretto to historical articles. He regularly speaks at legal seminars and at debates at Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews and Durham Universities. He is well-known in the USA as a speaker on gay and human rights.

Although since 2000, other than his naval career, he has adopted a quiet public profile, it is known that he has been privately active assisting and guiding numerous organizations involved with human rights, civil liberties, race relations and workers' rights as well as assisting and representing individuals.

His recent career includes employment as a bus driver for Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company Ltd. and he is currently employed in the Customer Sevices Unit of that company where he is a member of a small team responsible for answering phone and email queries from the public about the services offered by that company.

His wide interests include opera, music, theater and film. He is often seen with the Oscar winning cinematographer David Watkin and also Sir Ian McKellen. One of his degrees is in music and he trained as an opera singer at the Royal College of Music.

Along with numerous military awards and commendations, he is an honorary life member of Rank Outsiders and also holds the Mike Rhodes award for his contribution to gay rights. He is a holder of the Stonewall Equality Award. He won the Prix de Nantes for his work in Human Rights.