Charles Falconer, Lord Falconer av Thoroton, i sin helhet Charles Leslie Falconer, (født 19. november 1951, Edinburgh, Skottland), britisk politiker hvis periode som lordkansler (2003–07) var preget av reform av Storbritannias rettssystem.
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English Men of Distinction: Fact or Fiction?
Henry VIII hadde 10 koner.
Falconer ble utdannet ved Trinity College, Glenalmond (nå Glenalmond College), i Skottland og studerte jus ved University of Cambridge, Queen's College. Som gutt gjorde han bekjentskap med Tony Blair (fremtidig statsminister i Storbritannia), og på 1960-tallet konkurrerte de to til og med den samme unge kvinnen. I 1976 var de begge unge advokater som jobbet i samme bygning. Blair flyttet inn i Falconers leilighet i Sør-London for en tid, og begge ble aktive i den samme lokale grenen av Arbeiderpartiet.
På 1980-tallet, etter at Blair hadde kommet inn i politikken, fortsatte Falconer å fortsette en vellykket juridisk karriere, med spesialisering i handelsrett. De to forble tett; de kjøpte hus i nærheten av hverandre i Islington i Nord-London og spiste ofte sammen. I 1991, i uvanlig ung alder av 40, ble Falconer utnevnt til dronningens råd (den offisielle betegnelsen for senior advokater). I forkant av stortingsvalget i 1997 (med en Labour-regjering en nær sikkerhet etter 18 år i opposisjon), forsøkte han å løpe for parlamentet, men han ble avvist fordi han sendte barna sine til private avgiftsbetalende skoler - noe som den aktive lokale Arbeiderpartiet Partimedlemmer beklager overveldende.
Following Labour’s return to power in that election, Blair arranged for a life peerage for his old friend and appointed him solicitor general. In 1998 Falconer was moved to the Cabinet Office, where he came to public attention as the minister responsible for the controversial Millennium Dome. He defended a project that many considered indefensible with good humour, a stance that evoked admiration and criticism in equal measure. After brief terms as housing minister (2001) and minister for criminal justice (2002–03), on June 12, 2003, Falconer was named to the post of lord chancellor. On the same day, Blair announced the abolition of that position (first created in 605) and its replacement by the role of secretary of state for constitutional affairs. Falconer, as the 259th and last lord chancellor, as well as the first constitutional affairs secretary, was given the task of introducing the legislation for the change. Within Parliament and the legal profession, there was widespread support in principle for reform. New measures would finally separate politics and the judiciary and end the ability of a government minister to appoint senior judges. Blair’s appointment of his friend badly weakened the impact of a reform designed to curb patronage, but Falconer himself attracted little criticism—his skills, integrity, and easygoing style were admired across the political spectrum.
The reforms overseen by Falconer included the creation of a new supreme court. Although he ultimately failed to abolish the position of the lord chancellor, it was redefined by constitutional reform in 2006: the lord chief justice took over many of the judicial aspects of the role, and the lord chancellor was no longer to serve as speaker of the House of Lords. Falconer also dealt with interpretation of the Human Rights Act in regard to treatment of those suspected of terrorist activities—a controversial issue in the wake of the 2005 bombings of London’s Underground train system.
In May 2007, after the short-lived post of constitutional affairs secretary was abolished, Falconer became secretary of state for justice. A month later, after Gordon Brown became prime minister, Falconer was replaced by Jack Straw. Falconer took a position with a private American firm, wrote articles, and frequently appeared as a radio commentator. He also became chair of the John Smith Memorial Trust, honouring the late Labour Party leader. During Conservative David Cameron’s tenure as prime minister, Falconer served as shadow spokesman for justice (2010–15), shadow spokesman for constitutional and deputy priministerial issues (2011–15), and shadow lord chancellor and shadow secretary of state for justice (2015–16).
