James Rant

His Honour Judge James William Rant CB QC (16 April 1936 - 25 May 2003) was a British judge and the Judge Advocate General from 1991 until his death in 2003.^[1]

Early life and education

Rant was born on 16 April 1936 in the Romford district of Essex and was educated at the Stowe School and Selwyn College, Cambridge.^[1] He graduated from Selwyn College in 1958 and was called to the bar by Gray's Inn in 1961.^[1]

Career

Rant started practicing general law until 1970, when he began to specialise in criminal law, he became a barrister in 1980 and by 1984 had become a circuit judge, sitting at the Old Bailey from 1986.^[1]

In 1991, he was appointed the Judge Advocate General, the first for a long time without a background or connection to the military.^[1] He made a number of reforms to the court-martial system including a centralised administration system for Army and Royal Air Force courts-martial and the introduction of judge advocates.^[1] He further reformed the system to reflect the introduction of the Human Rights Act including the creation of summary appeal courts.^[1]

Rant was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1995 Birthday Honours.^[2]

Personal life

Rant married in 1963 and had two daughters and two sons. He died on 25 May 2003, aged 67.^[1]

References