Richard Sanderson Keen, Baron Keen of Elie, QC (born 29 March 1954) is a Scottish lawyer and Conservative Party politician. He has been Advocate General for Scotland since May 2015.
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Early life
Keen was educated at The King's School, Rochester and Dollar Academy, and graduated with a LLB in law from the University of Edinburgh in 1976, where he was a Beckman scholar. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1980 and took silk (QC) in 1993.He was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales in 2009 and elected a Bencher of the Middle Temple in 2011.
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Legal career
Keen served as standing junior counsel in Scotland to the Department of Trade and Industry from 1986-93, and was chairman of the appeals committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. He specialises in commercial law, property law and administrative law.
He defended Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah at the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial, with Fhimah being acquitted of all charges. In 2007, he represented Henri Paul's family in a case about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Keen represented the Scottish football club Rangers at their unsuccessful appeal against a one-year transfer/registration embargo which was held on 16 May 2012. He subsequently appeared for Rangers in a judicial review of the decision with this appeal proving successful.
He represented Andy Coulson in relation to perjury charges.
He has regularly appeared in the United Kingdom Supreme Court. In 2016 he appeared for the United Kingdom Government in the "Article 50 case" where he successfully argued that there was no constitutional requirement for the devolved administrations to consent to "BREXIT".
Keen was elected Dean of the Faculty of Advocates [leader of the Scottish bar] in 2007. He remained Dean until January 2014 when he resigned to become chair of the Scottish Conservative Party.
He was appointed the Advocate General for Scotland on 29 May 2015, and stepped down as chair of the Scottish Conservative Party.In May 2016 he was also appointed Lords Spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice with policy responsibility for regulation and promotion of the legal profession in England and Wales.
Keen was created a Life Peer on 8 June 2015 taking the title Baron Keen of Elie, of Elie in Fife.
Personal life
Keen married Jane Anderson in 1978, with whom he has a son and a daughter. His interests include golf, skiing, shooting and opera, whilst he is a member of the New Club, The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield, The Royal & Ancient at St Andrews and the Golf House Club, Elie. He was one of the highest earners in Scotland, being featured on a list of the top 100 earners in 2003. He is a collector of classic cars,.
Styles of address
- 1954-1993: Mr Richard Keen
- 1993-2015: Mr Richard Keen QC
- 2015-: The Rt Hon. The Lord Keen of Elie QC
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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