Sir Murray Stuart-Smith, KCMG, PC 1927-2025

 Sir Murray Stuart-Smith, KCMG, PC, a former barrister and Appeal Court judge, died 21 January, 2025, aged 97.

He was born 18 Nov, 1927, son of Edward Stuart-Smith and his wife the former Doris Mary Laughland; and married 28 March, 1953, Joan Elizabeth Mary Motion (1929-2015), daughter of Major Thomas Augustus Motion and his wife the former Lady Elizabeth Grimston (1885-1975), a long serving Woman of the Bedchamber to HM Queen Mary, daughter of the 3rd Earl of Verulam (1852-1924), and his wife Margaret Frances Graham (who died 4 Oct, 1927).

Stuart-Smith was called to the bar by Gray's Inn in 1952 and was made a Bencher 1978. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1970, and as judge of the High Court of Justice (Queen's Bench Division) in 1981. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 1987, and retired in 2000. He later served as President of the Court of Appeal of Gibraltar from 2007, and as Justice of the Court of Appeal of Bermuda from 2004.

In retirement Sir Murray was appointed to re-examine Lord Taylor's report into the Hillsborough disaster, together with the wider question of whether the inquest process had been satisfactory.

Sir Murray leaves issue, three sons and three daughters.

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