John Kay (judge)

For other people named John Kay, see John Kay (disambiguation).

The Right Honourable Sir John Kay
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
Lord Justice of Appeal
In office 2000–2004
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Justice of the High Court
In office 1992–2000
Personal details
Born	(1943-09-13)13 September 1943 Sidcup, Middlesex, England
Died	2 July 2004(2004-07-02) (aged 60) South Bank, Greater London, England
Resting place	Sefton Parish Churchyard, Sefton, Merseyside
Spouse	Jennifer Ann Kay
Children	3 (including Ben Kay and Amanda Yip)
Alma mater	Christ's College, Cambridge

Sir John William Kay PC (13 September 1943 – 2 July 2004) was a British judge who served as Lord Justice of Appeal, being a member of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales from 2000 until his death.

Career

After being called to the bar in 1968 following a brief stint as a schoolteacher, he became a Queen's Counsel in 1984 and was named to the High Court of Justice of England and Wales in 1992.

On the Court of Appeal he upheld the conviction of mass murderer Jeremy Bamber in 2002, perhaps his most celebrated case. He subsequently overturned the murder conviction of Sally Clark, accused of killing her two young sons, and dismissed the posthumous appeal in the name of the executed Ruth Ellis on largely technical grounds.

Personal life

Growing up near Liverpool, he was educated at Denstone College and subsequently studied mathematics at Christ's College, Cambridge before switching to law. A keen rugby enthusiast he played for Waterloo Rugby Club in his youth and later became club president between 1995 and 1997. He married Jennifer Kay in 1966, when he had two daughters and a son. Ben, who was part of the victorious 2003 Rugby World Cup squad. His daughter Amanda was appointed to the High Court in 2017.

Kay passed away on 2 July 2004 in London, following a heart attack. He was cremated and buried at Sefton Parish Churchyard in Sefton, Merseyside.