John Hostettler (author)

John Hostettler
Born May 1925
West London,England
Occupation Solicitor retired and writer
Genre Legal history, biography

John Hostettler (born May 1925) is an English writer of legal histories and biographies.

His best-known creation, Sir William Garrow was used in the making of the BBC drama series, Garrow's Law.

Early life

Hostettler was born in Central Middlesex Hospital and grew up in Acton, West London, with a younger sister. His father, John Christian, was a fireman and then locomotive engine driver for the Great Western Railway. His mother, Violet, had started work at age thirteen on a milk round. They had married in 1923.

He passed the 11+ exam, attended Acton County School and then became articled to solicitors in Holborn, London. During the Second World War, he volunteered, in 1943, as a Bevin Boy and remained in the South Wales Coalfield for three years.

Legal career

Hostettler qualified as a solicitor in September 1947 and remained a lawyer for thirty-five years.[1] He established his own practice in West London in 1958 and had offices in Ealing, Southall and Covent Garden during his career. He also undertook political and civil liberties cases in Nigeria, Germany and Aden, and played a key role in the abolition of flogging in colonial prisons following a visit to the latter in 1962.[2] He sat as a magistrate from 1976 and also chaired social security appeals tribunals after he retired as a solicitor.[3]

He holds a LLB (Hons), a LLM and a PhD from the London School of Economics and 2 PhDs from Sussex University.[4][5]

Literary career

Hostettler has written twenty five books on legal history; current issues such as breaches of the rule of law and trial by jury; and biographies. His literary career began in 1992 when he transformed his first PhD thesis into the book, "The Politics of Criminal Law Reform in the Nineteenth Century."[6] His biographical subjects include leading legal figures Sir Matthew Hale, Sir James Fitzjames Stephen,[7] Sir Edward Carson,[8] Lord Halsbury, Thomas Erskine[9] and William Garrow ( the latter co-written with Richard Braby, a descendent of Garrow.)

His legal history books include histories of criminal justice[10][11] and the abolition of capital punishment. He has also written about voting in Britain (with Brian Block.)[12] and he was nominated for the Orwell Prize in 2013 for “Dissenters, Radicals, Heretics and Blasphemers.” [13]

Hostettler has also written articles for The Anglo-American Law Review, Justice of the Peace and The Legal Executive.[14]

Hostettler has new books in preparation, one of which is concerned with miscarriages of justice.

Personal life

Hostettler married Joy Birch in February 1950 in North West London and they have 3 children, 4 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. They live on the coast in West Sussex, although he continues to support Arsenal Football Club.

Bibliography

References

  1. http://crimsoc.org/about-crimsoc/patrons
  2. "A History of Criminal Justice" J. Hostettler 2009 p. x
  3. "The Books of John Hostettler". Hostettler.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-05-07.
  4. "Sir William Garrow" J. Hostettler and R. Braby 2010 p. iv
  5. University of Sussex 26 January 2007 Press Release "Students celebrate success at winter graduation 2007."
  6. Graham Virgo: The Cambridge Law Journal 51 pp 394–396 and A.T.H. Smith: Criminal Law Review 1993 pp 328–9
  7. This book was cited in the case of Anthony Heaney and William McGuiness v. Ireland and the Attorney General on 23 July 1996. 1 ILRM. (1997 p.126.)
  8. Tony Girling, past president of the Law Society. The Law Society Gazette (1997)
  9. Dan Bindman The Law Society Gazette 19 June 1996 p.33
  10. R.D McCrie, John jay, College of Criminal Justice in Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, (Choice) in the USA (1 January 2010.)
  11. http://keepcalmtalklaw.co.uk at 12.30 15 September 2014 references “History of Criminal Justice,” in “Johnson’s Presumption of Guilt is No Solution to Jihad John.”
  12. House of Commons Library: The History of the Parliamentary Franchise Research Paper 13/14 1 March 2013 references “Voting in Britain.”
  13. http://theorwellprize.co.uk/how-to-enterentries-2013book-prize-2013
  14. "The Books of John Hostettler". Hostettler.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-05-07.

External links

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