My grandfather, David Turner-Samuels, who has died aged 98, was a barrister and QC who practised with great passion for more than 50 years, working well into his 80s. He was involved in many high-profile trials, including the controversial Shrewsbury 24 trade union case in the 1970s, the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings and libel cases for Private Eye magazine.
David was born in Newcastle, the son of Moss Turner-Samuels, also a QC, and his wife, Gladys (nee Belcher). Moss was the Labour MP for Gloucester under Clement Attlee. After David had finished his education at Westminster school, he joined his father at Middle Temple and was called to the bar in 1939. That year, he also married Norma Verstone.
Almost immediately, David signed up with the Royal Artillery in south Asia. In 1942, he took part in Operation Ironclad, the invasion of Vichy French-controlled Madagascar, and in 1944 in the Battle of Imphal in India.
Once the conflict was over David and Norma had two children, Michael and Elizabeth. He resumed his legal career joining Cloisters chambers, known then for its leftwing views. Although David was not a political hardliner, he loved to fight for the underdog. In the 70s, he won in the Caribbean a series of landmark human rights cases in the privy council, and was admitted to several of the bars in order to practise there. His love of the region led him to have a home in Trinidad.
His highest profile cases concerned the IRA bombing campaigns. He led the civil claim brought by the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings, who alleged they had been seriously beaten before confessing. Lord Denning in the court of appeal upheld their conviction and in the House of Lords the claims were again struck out, but history subsequently vindicated everything David had argued.
Apart from the law, David also had a passion for travel and photography and he regularly travelled all over the world. He continued this passion well into his 90s, treating his friends and family to impressive detail about his expeditions in his emailed ship’s blog.
His first marriage ended in divorce, and in 1976 he married Norma Negus, a judge. She died in 2009. He is survived by Michael and Elizabeth, by his grandchildren, Nick, Ben, Anya and me, and by his great-grandchildren Eleanor, Isabella, Natalie, Evelyn and Ethan.
