Tributes paid after death of Head of Garden Court North Chambers
The head of Garden Court North Chambers, Mark George KC, has died.
His chambers announced the news “with the greatest of sadness” yesterday.
In a statement, they said: “Mark was a principled advocate, campaigner, and a fighter for social justice as well as the rule of law, whose presence, friendship, strength and wisdom will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”
He was called to the bar in 1976, took silk in 2009 and became head of chambers at Garden Court North Chambers in 2013.
George was a defence specialist with vast experience in the most complex and serious criminal offences, including large-scale drugs importation, historic sexual assault and murder.
He also conducted high profile criminal appeals and miscarriage of justice work, and was instructed for 22 families in the Hillsborough Inquests.
George had been inspired to be a lawyer while watching American civil rights demonstrators being beaten by police in the 1960s and he continued that interest in American legal issues as a trustee of the US death penalty charity Amicus ALJ.
One of his three sons, Tom George, paid tribute to him in a post on Twitter:
Rest up, you incredibly smart silly billy. x @Mark_George_KC pic.twitter.com/iDh2vrONDw
— Tom George (@tomgeorgefilm) December 21, 2022
A prominent Manchester barrister who posts anonymously on Twitter as CrimeGirl, described George as “a man who embodied justice”:
Hi all. The larger than life, seemingly indomitable, kind, hilarious @Mark_George_KC passed away last night. It is difficult to do justice to a man who embodied justice. He was a champion of the underdog, devoting his life, skills & intellect to fight for those who needed him.
— CrimeGirl © (@CrimeGirI) December 21, 2022
