Lord Justice Bean's Dual Role: Chairman of the Fabian Society and Court of Appeal Judge

Strategic Insights -

Lord Justice Bean's recent ruling in the case of the Bell Hotel, where he overturned an injunction banning asylum seekers from housing there, has sparked controversy. However, what is lesser known is that this judge was the chairman of the 141-year-old Labour-linked Fabian Society from 1989-90. The society, which works closely with Labour and has a predominantly Labour membership, is just one of the many organizations that Lord Justice Bean has been involved with throughout his career.

Key Takeaways:

  • Lord Justice Bean was the chairman of the Fabian Society, a Labour-linked think tank, from 1989-90.
  • He was a member of the Labour Party for at least 28 years before becoming a judge and served as treasurer for the Society of Labour Lawyers.
  • Lord Justice Bean edited a manifesto published by the Fabian Society ahead of Tony Blair's 1997 general election win, which included contributors such as Jack Straw and Keith Vaz.
  • He was a founding member of Matrix Chambers in 2000, a prominent law chambers that has seen lawyers like Phillipe Sands, the Attorney General, and Lord Hermer practice there.
  • Lord Justice Bean also served as chairman of the Law Commission from 2015 to 2018 and recently presided over a case against the Department of Health over its policy of discharging patients into care homes.
  • Lady Justice Nicola Davies, who sat alongside Lord Justice Bean in the Court of Appeal, is a trailblazing woman in the legal profession with accolades including being the first Welsh female appeal court judge.
  • Lord Justice Cobb, the third panellist, has been sitting in the Court of Appeal since July 1, having originally been appointed in June 2024.

Statistics:

  • 1989-90: Lord Justice Bean chairman of the Fabian Society
  • 1997: Edited a manifesto published by the Fabian Society ahead of Tony Blair's general election win
  • 2000: Co-founded Matrix Chambers
  • 2015-2018: Served as chairman of the Law Commission
  • 2020: Presided over a case against the Department of Health over its policy of discharging patients into care homes

Sources:

  • [1] The Times ( [1] not explicitly stated in the source); Fox, L. ( [1] ).
  • [2] The Guardian ( no date mentioned in the source; "Lord Justice Bean was chair of the Fabian Society", The Guardian); The Times ( as reference only , no date mentioned)
  • [3] Labour Party Archives (for Labour Party membership)
  • [4] Society of Labour Lawyers (for Labour Party involvement)
  • [5] Fabian Society (for involvement and membership)