Constance Briscoe

{{Infobox writer

| name = Constance Briscoe

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|05|18|df=y}}

| birth_place = England

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| occupation = Former barrister, former recorder of the Crown Court

| nationality = British

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| citizenship = United Kingdom

| education =

| alma_mater = Newcastle University
University of Warwick

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| notableworks = Ugly
Beyond Ugly

| spouse =

| partner = Adam Wilson (separated)
Anthony Arlidge (separated)

| children = 2

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Constance Briscoe (born 18 May 1957 in England){{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bQudJb30gc8C&pg=PT11|title=Ugly|first=Constance|last=Briscoe|date=13 November 2008|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|isbn=9781848940512|via=Google Books}} is a former barrister, and was one of the first black female recorders in England and Wales. In May 2014, she was jailed for three counts of doing an act tending to pervert the course of justice in R v Huhne and Pryce. She was disbarred and removed from the judiciary.

Legal career

Briscoe studied Law at Newcastle University and graduated with a 2:2,{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7759546.stm|title=Ugly tale of triumph over trials|date=1 December 2008|publisher=|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/may/01/constance-briscoe-ugly-chris-huhne-vicky-pryce|title=Constance Briscoe: ugly tale of the barrister who lied to police|author=Caroline Davies|work=The Guardian|date=May 2014 |access-date=20 January 2015}} financing her studies with several casual jobs, including working in a hospice. She took an MA at the University of Warwick.{{cite news |url=http://www.9-12bellyard.com/barristers/item/211-constance-briscoe |title=Constance Briscoe - Barrister Profile |work=9-12 Bell Yard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308100927/http://www.9-12bellyard.com/barristers/item/211-constance-briscoe |access-date=9 October 2012|archive-date=8 March 2013 }}

She was called to the bar in 1983. After pupillage with Michael Mansfield, she joined the chambers of Barbara Calvert.{{cite news|last1=Cheston|first1=Paul|title=Mother's glares as judge Constance Briscoe is found guilty|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/mothers-glares-as-judge-constance-briscoe-is-found-guilty-9312610.html|access-date=30 July 2015|work=London Evening Starndard|date=2 May 2014}} In 1996 she became an assistant recorder, a part-time judge. Briscoe practised in criminal law and fraud, principally defending. She also undertook tribunal work, public inquiries, inquests and acted as president of Mental Health Tribunals. A room was named after her in the Newcastle University Students' Union building, which was later renamed after her conviction.{{cite web|url=https://www.nusu.co.uk/pageassets/yourvoice/council/documents/SU-Council-Mins-08-05-14.pdf|title= Newcastle University Students' Union Minutes Of Students' Union Council|date=8 May 2014|work=NUSU.co.uk}} In 2007 she unsuccessfully applied to become a QC.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/jan/12/biography.features |title=The avenger |author=Simon Hattenstone |work=The Guardian |date=12 January 2008 |access-date=9 October 2012}}

In October 2012 Briscoe was suspended from the judiciary after arrest and questioning by police.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/constance-briscoe-one-of-britains-few-black-female-judges-arrested-and-questioned-by-police-8203907.html |title=Constance Briscoe, one of Britain's few black female judges, arrested and questioned by police |author=Paul Peachey |work=The Independent |date=9 October 2012 |access-date=9 October 2012}}

On 6 August 2014, Briscoe was removed as a member of the judiciary.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28675376|title=Constance Briscoe removed from judiciary|publisher=BBC|date=6 August 2014}} Her honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Wolverhampton awarded to her in 2011 was removed by the university's nominations committee in August 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2014/08/09/shamed-judge-in-huhne-scandal-stripped-of-honorary-degree-by-university-of-wolverhampton/|title=Huhne scandal judge stripped of honorary degree by University of Wolverhampton|website=Expressandstar.com|date=9 August 2014 |access-date=2017-07-22}}

On 15 April 2016, Briscoe was disbarred as a barrister for three professional misconduct charges, which were: "engaging in conduct which was dishonest and discreditable to a barrister; engaging in conduct which was prejudicial to the administration of justice; and engaging in conduct which was likely to diminish public confidence in the legal profession, the administration of justice, or bring the profession into disrepute."{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/15/constance-briscoe-disbarred-after-being-jailed-for-lying|title=Constance Briscoe disbarred after being jailed for lying|first=Kevin|last=Rawlinson|work=The Guardian|date=15 April 2016|access-date=17 April 2016}}

Personal life

Briscoe's parents emigrated to the United Kingdom from Jamaica in the 1950s.[http://thebookshow.skyarts.co.uk/authors/10500/constance_briscoe.html Briscoe on The Book Show website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208162804/http://thebookshow.skyarts.co.uk/authors/10500/constance_briscoe.html |date=8 December 2008 }} Constance's mother Carmen had seven children, including Constance, by her husband George Briscoe. She then had another four children by Garfield Eastman. Constance attended Sacred Heart Catholic School, Camberwell.

Briscoe is known for her books Ugly (2006) and Beyond Ugly (2008), in which she claims she was verbally and physically abused by her mother and stepfather as a child. She underwent facial and other cosmetic surgery at university. She often spoke publicly about her experiences. Her mother, Carmen Briscoe-Mitchell, denies these claims and sued her daughter and her publishers Hodder & Stoughton for libel.

{{cite web

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7740171.stm

|title='Ugly' author a 'liar and thief'

|work=BBC News

|access-date=20 November 2008

|last=

|first=

| date=20 November 2008}}

The case was concluded in Briscoe's favour, when a jury in the High Court unanimously accepted her contention that her allegations were substantially true.

{{cite web

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7754322.stm

|title= 'Ugly' barrister wins court case

|work=BBC News

|access-date=1 December 2008

|last=

|first=

| date=1 December 2008}}

Briscoe's mother stated she wished to have this civil decision reversed in the light of Briscoe's later criminal conviction for perverting the course of justice.

{{cite news

|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27245579

|title=Constance Briscoe's fall from grace

|work=BBC News

|date=May 2014

|access-date=3 May 2014

}}

Police have confirmed she also faces criminal investigation in relation to the evidence supporting the civil judgment in her favour.

{{cite web

|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/10802587/Constance-Briscoe-faces-new-criminal-inquiry.html

|title=Constance Briscoe faces new criminal inquiry

|work=The Daily Telegraph

|date=May 2014

|access-date=3 May 2014

}}

Briscoe has two children from a relationship with lawyer Adam Wilson. A later long relationship with barrister Anthony Arlidge KC ended in 2010.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9472565/Judge-Constance-Briscoe-finds-new-love-after-barrister-left-her-for-25-year-old-trainee.html |title=Judge Constance Briscoe finds new love after barrister left her for 25-year-old trainee |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=13 August 2012 |access-date=9 October 2012}}

Conviction

On 6 October 2012, Briscoe was arrested in Clapham and subsequently bailed pending further enquiries, as a result of a police investigation. No announcement was made at that time as to the nature of any allegations against her. The Lord Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor suspended Briscoe from the judiciary pending the outcome of the police investigation.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9596591/Top-female-judge-Constance-Briscoe-arrested-and-bailed.html |title=Top female judge Constance Briscoe arrested and bailed |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=9 October 2012 |access-date=10 October 2012}}

In February 2013, at the trial of Vicky Pryce, police stated that Briscoe's arrest related to the release of information to the press on behalf of Pryce contrary to statements Briscoe had made, and the police could not rely upon Briscoe as a "witness of truth". Pryce was a friend and neighbour of Briscoe. Briscoe was not charged but remained on police bail.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/top-female-barrister-constance-briscoe-investigated-over-leaking-chris-huhne-case-court-told-8511662.html |title=Top female barrister Constance Briscoe investigated over leaking Chris Huhne case, court told |author=Ellen Branagh |work=The Independent |date=26 February 2013 |access-date=26 February 2013}}{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9894918/Judge-Constance-Briscoe-arrested-for-lying-to-police-about-role-in-exposing-Chris-Huhne.html |title=Judge Constance Briscoe arrested for 'lying to police' about role in exposing Chris Huhne |author=Sam Marsden, Gordon Rayner and Alice Philipson |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=26 February 2013 |access-date=26 February 2013}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/feb/26/vicky-pryce-arrest-constance-briscoe-chris-huhne |title=Vicky Pryce trial: judge arrested on suspicion of lying to police |author=Caroline Davies |work=The Guardian |date=26 February 2013 |access-date=12 June 2013}}

Prosecutor Andrew Edis told the jury that Briscoe and Pryce had "started it together by approaching a man called Andrew Alderson (a journalist working for the Mail on Sunday)", falsely claiming that one of Huhne's aides, Jo White, took points for him in 2003. According to Edis, Briscoe was a neighbour and friend of Pryce and that the "two of them appear to have cooked up a plan" to bring about Huhne's downfall.

On 12 June 2013 it was announced she would be charged with two counts of intending to pervert the course of justice and would attend court on 24 June 2013. The first count alleged that she provided police with two inaccurate statements, and the second alleged that she produced a copy of her witness statement that had been altered.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22875993 |title=Constance Briscoe to be charged over Huhne points case |publisher=BBC |date=12 June 2013 |access-date=12 June 2013}} On 1 May 2014 she was found guilty at the Old Bailey of three charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice, by lying to police, falsifying a witness statement, and providing a false document to an expert witness. On 2 May 2014 she was jailed for 16 months,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27254145|title=Constance Briscoe jailed for 16 months for lying to police|publisher=BBC|date=2 May 2014}} she began her sentence at HM Prison Holloway.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/judge-jails-arrogant-liar-briscoe-for-16-months-92337rn5vwx|title=Judge jails 'arrogant' liar Briscoe for 16 months|author=David Sanderson|work=The Times|date=2 May 2014}}

Briscoe received an early release from prison in November 2014, before she had served half her sentence.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/15/disgraced-barrister-constance-briscoe-penniless-chris-huhne|title=Disgraced barrister Constance Briscoe left penniless, court told|work=The Guardian|date=15 January 2015|access-date=25 March 2019}}

References

Bibliography

Briscoe, Constance. Ugly. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2006. 310 pp.; 24 cm. {{ISBN|0-340-89597-7}} (cased). {{ISBN|0-340-89598-5}} (trade pbk).
Briscoe, Constance. Beyond Ugly. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2007. 239 pp.; 24 cm. {{ISBN|0-340-93323-2}}.

Category:1957 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of Newcastle University

Category:Alumni of the University of Warwick

Category:Black British lawyers

Category:20th-century Black British people

Category:21st-century Black British people

Category:20th-century British lawyers

Category:21st-century British lawyers

Category:English autobiographers

Criminals

Category:English people of Jamaican descent