تشارلز فالكونر ، اللورد فالكونر من ثوروتون ، بالكامل تشارلز ليزلي فالكونر ، (ولد في 19 نوفمبر 1951 ، إدنبرة ، اسكتلندا) ، سياسي بريطاني تميزت فترة خدمته كمستشار لورد (2003-2007) بإصلاح النظام القانوني في المملكة المتحدة.
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تلقى فالكونر تعليمه في كلية ترينيتي ، جلينالموند (الآن كلية جلينالموند) ، في اسكتلندا ودرس القانون في جامعة كامبريدج ، كلية كوينز. عندما كان صبيًا ، تعرّف على توني بلير (رئيس وزراء المملكة المتحدة المستقبلي) ، وفي الستينيات تنافس الاثنان حتى الآن على نفس الشابة. وبحلول عام 1976 ، كانوا كلاهما محامين صغار يعملون في نفس المبنى. انتقل بلير إلى شقة فالكونر في جنوب لندن لبعض الوقت ، وأصبح كلاهما نشطين في نفس الفرع المحلي لحزب العمال.
في الثمانينيات ، بعد أن دخل بلير في السياسة ، استمر فالكونر في ممارسة مهنة قانونية ناجحة ، متخصصًا في القانون التجاري. بقي الاثنان قريبين. اشتروا منازل بالقرب من بعضهم البعض في Islington في شمال لندن وغالبًا ما يتناولون الطعام معًا. في عام 1991 ، في سن 40 بشكل غير معتاد ، تم تعيين فالكونر مستشار الملكة (التعيين الرسمي لكبار المحامين). قبل الانتخابات العامة لعام 1997 (مع وجود شبه يقين من حكومة العمل بعد 18 عامًا في المعارضة) ، سعى للترشح للبرلمان ، لكنه تم رفضه لأنه أرسل أطفاله إلى المدارس الخاصة التي تدفع رسومًا - وهو أمر نشط في العمل المحلي وشجب أعضاء الحزب بشدة.
Following Labour’s return to power in that election, Blair arranged for a life peerage for his old friend and appointed him solicitor general. In 1998 Falconer was moved to the Cabinet Office, where he came to public attention as the minister responsible for the controversial Millennium Dome. He defended a project that many considered indefensible with good humour, a stance that evoked admiration and criticism in equal measure. After brief terms as housing minister (2001) and minister for criminal justice (2002–03), on June 12, 2003, Falconer was named to the post of lord chancellor. On the same day, Blair announced the abolition of that position (first created in 605) and its replacement by the role of secretary of state for constitutional affairs. Falconer, as the 259th and last lord chancellor, as well as the first constitutional affairs secretary, was given the task of introducing the legislation for the change. Within Parliament and the legal profession, there was widespread support in principle for reform. New measures would finally separate politics and the judiciary and end the ability of a government minister to appoint senior judges. Blair’s appointment of his friend badly weakened the impact of a reform designed to curb patronage, but Falconer himself attracted little criticism—his skills, integrity, and easygoing style were admired across the political spectrum.
The reforms overseen by Falconer included the creation of a new supreme court. Although he ultimately failed to abolish the position of the lord chancellor, it was redefined by constitutional reform in 2006: the lord chief justice took over many of the judicial aspects of the role, and the lord chancellor was no longer to serve as speaker of the House of Lords. Falconer also dealt with interpretation of the Human Rights Act in regard to treatment of those suspected of terrorist activities—a controversial issue in the wake of the 2005 bombings of London’s Underground train system.
In May 2007, after the short-lived post of constitutional affairs secretary was abolished, Falconer became secretary of state for justice. A month later, after Gordon Brown became prime minister, Falconer was replaced by Jack Straw. Falconer took a position with a private American firm, wrote articles, and frequently appeared as a radio commentator. He also became chair of the John Smith Memorial Trust, honouring the late Labour Party leader. During Conservative David Cameron’s tenure as prime minister, Falconer served as shadow spokesman for justice (2010–15), shadow spokesman for constitutional and deputy priministerial issues (2011–15), and shadow lord chancellor and shadow secretary of state for justice (2015–16).
