‘The light that Ted brought to all those who knew him has been extinguished’
JUDGE AND LAWYERS PAY TRIBUTE TO COLLEAGUE
DOZENS of lawyers joined an online tribute at Leicester Crown Court in memory of a “remarkable” local barrister.
Edward Barr, also known as Ted, who lived in Wigston, died of cancer, aged 61.
He was fondly remembered by judges, barristers and court staff, who heard that one of his achievements included taking part in the BBC Radio 4 Brain of Britain quiz.
Leicester’s senior resident judge, Timothy Spencer QC, in his valedictory address, said that Ted was “decent and modest” and always “played a straight bat” with fair play in court.
Judge Spencer said: “The gathering today is testament to the respect in which he was held and a measure of how much he will be missed.”
Ted was described as a “fine barrister” who was “highly intelligent and intellectually curious,” by Lord Edward Garnier QC, former MP for Harborough.
He said Ted had also formerly been an “assiduous” Oadby and Wigston Borough councillor.
The son of a policeman and a seamstress, Ted was born and educated in Leeds.
Called to The Bar in 1983, he was based at Leicester’s New Walk chambers, working on both criminal and country court cases.
In 1999, he began sitting as magistrates’ court deputy district judge, on the North Eastern Circuit.
New Walk chambers colleague and friend, Nicholas George, said on
behalf of The Bar: “The light that Ted brought to all who knew and loved him, through his humour, wisdom and compassion, has been extinguished and we will not experience its like again.
“He was a truly remarkable man.
“His departure, so untimely and so cruel, leaves a void in all our lives.”
He expressed “heartfelt condolences” to Ted’s family, including his son Robert, sisters Liz and Marie and former wife Morag.
Nicholas fondly recalled Ted’s “effervescent good humour” and having been a contestant on Radio 4 quiz shows, such as Brain of Britain.
In one quiz, Counterpoint, he was “rightly proud” of attaining a perfect score of 10 on his individual round about Frank Sinatra.
He added: “Of all of Ted’s many achievements and accomplishments, I’ve no doubt the one he was the proudest of was being the father to so fine a young man as his son Robert.”
Robert, 24, who also attended the socially distanced tribute, said: “I was very proud to hear how highly my father was regarded by his legal colleagues and from the judges and barristers, through to the ushers and court security staff.”