October 9, 2026
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Matthew Robbins
Southampton
I want to say it was ‘bluebell time in Kent’, when I agreed to write an article on Lord Denning, but it was actually at the LCF Conference in Bath in November 2025. We can probably all remember studying to some degree one of Lord Denning’s many judgments. I have fond memories as a law student reading some of his many cases. And of the law coming alive.
His favourite Bible verse was from Micah chapter 6, verse 8:
‘He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God?’
How apposite that on the LCF website there are three concentric headings:
- Seek justice.
- Love mercy.
- Walk humbly.
No accident as Lord Denning stood as President of the LCF from 1950-1987 and was then our Patron.
So much has been written about Lord Denning, that it is difficult to do justice to such a great man. Denning believed very much in the power of the Holy Spirit. At his Memorial Service in Westminster Abbey on 17th June 1999 the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Bingham said:
” …. he opened the door to the law above the law.”
If you have not already ‘opened the door’ to the Holy Spirit, then please can I encourage you to. Anyone at the LCF would be delighted to pray for you.
In Dennings’ farewell speech as Master of the Rolls, he said that there were four things a person must learn:
- To think without confusion clearly.
- To act from honest motives purely.
- To love his fellow man sincerely.
- To trust in God and heaven securely.
In one of the LCF surveys, LCF members reported they were comfortable telling people they are Christians, but were uncertain about how. Denning was guided by both the work and the Spirit. In one of his many books, ‘The Family Story’, he refers to it not being enough to refer to your law books but:
“it is as well to have a Bible ready to hand to.”
And for the Spirit, he was fond of quoting 2 Corinthians 3:6:
“the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life”
As you go back to work from reading this article, whether advising a residential property client that ground rents can be applicable in leasehold matters, even if you don’t live on the ground floor or some other legal issue please think, act, love and trust in the Holy Spirit.
Speaking the truth is one thing. Speaking the truth in love within the legal profession requires immense courage. Lord Denning was never afraid to be a lone voice or to challenge established orthodoxy if he felt it stood in the way of what was right. As LCF members, we are not called to be rebels without a cause, but we are called to be salt and light. When we allow the Holy Spirit to breathe through our work, our perspective shifts. We begin to see clients not just as case files, but as individuals made in the image of God. We begin to view our colleagues not just as competitors, but as neighbours to be loved.
True justice cannot be achieved by human intellect alone, it requires divine wisdom. The law above the law. This is why the community we find within the LCF is so vital. It is a place where we can sharpen one another, pray for our justice system and align our professional ambitions with God’s Kingdom purposes.
Hold your hands out at your desk right now and invite the Risen Lord Jesus Christ into that moment.
Amen.