Lord Donaldson of Lymington

Many of our members and others who were involved with commercial arbitration in the 1970s -1980s will have been sad to learn of the death of Lord Donaldson, and some may feel that the obituary in the Times did not do him full justice.

After serving in the Royal Corps of Signals during the War, he left the army as a lieutenant colonel, and was called to the Bar in 1946, having previously obtained a degree in law at Cambridge University. He specialised in Maritime Law.

In 1966 he was made a judge of the Queen's Bench Division; the youngest High Court Judge for many years. In 1971 he became President of the National Industrial Relations Court, which was not a popular institution, particularly with Trades Unions, and in spite of his courtesy and fairness, his reputation suffered as a result of this appointment. The NIRC was abolished in 1974, and Sir John Donaldson became Chairman of the Commercial Court (Queen's Bench Division) and of the Commercial Court Committee.

Sir John dealt with a large number of commercial disputes, mostly international, which gave rise to arbitrations and “stated cases” for the High Court. He developed a great interest in commercial contracts and trading practices. He was a most courteous and efficient Chairman of the Commercial Court Committee, and when the Grain and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA) came to revise its arbitration rules, Sir John came to meet its Rules Committee and gave them advice and guidance on legal and procedural points that lay arbitrators may find difficult. We were delighted when he accepted Honorary Membership of GAFTA. He remained a good friend, always approachable and helpful.

In 1982 GAFTA had the responsibility of hosting the European Commodities Exchanges Annual Trading Day, which is known as the European Bourse, in London. This was attended by about 2,000 traders from all over Europe and beyond. The opening ceremony was arranged in the newly opened Barbican Centre, and the Minister of Agriculture, The Rt. Hon. Mr Peter Walker MP, agreed to come and give the keynote address, but at a very late stage he had to withdraw because of ministerial commitments. Thus we had to find a suitable speaker at very short notice. I asked Sir John, who was by then Master of the Rolls, if he could come, and he readily agreed. While the platform party were in the green room waiting to go on stage, Sir John looked up from his notes, and said with a positive twinkle in his eye, “ Can I take it that someone will be making it clear that I am not Peter Walker? ”

Sir John's wife, Lady Donaldson, was Lord Mayor of London in 1983, and she was London 's first Lady Lord Mayor. Sir John was a great support during her successful Mayoralty, and she gave her unobtrusive support to the Founder Members of The Worshipful Company of Arbitrators. Sir John was made a Lord in 1988.

Past Master James Mackie