Retired British judge Sir Gavin Lightman, who was named to the one-man commission of enquiry into the financial crisis at CL Financial's subsidiaries and the Hindu Credit Union, is a retired judge of the English High Court of Justice, Chancery Division. He held that position from 1994 to January 2008.
He was called to the Bar in 1964 after obtaining his LLB (First Class Honours) at University College, London, and LLM at the University of Michigan. During his legal career, he had a wide and extensive practice in the United Kingdom and abroad, including Singapore, Hong Kong, the West Indies and Gibraltar. His practice extended from equity and trusts to commercial and administrative law.
As a judge, he delivered several leading judgments on important topics, such as trust and commercial law, revenue law and insolvency. Sir Gavin's terms of reference for the commission enquiry include determining and making recommendations on whether there were any grounds for criminal and civil proceedings against any person or entity in the issue of the companies.
Appointments
1987: Elected Bencher of Lincoln's Inn;
1994: appointed judge of the English High Court (Chancery Division);
1996: designated, in addition, judge of the Administrative Court;
1997: appointed a judge of the Restrictive Practice Court and (on its abolition) of its replacement the Competition
Appeal Tribunal
2002: elected Fellow of University College, London; and,
2007: elected treasurer of Lincoln's Inn for the period 2008-2009