Owen Stable

{{Short description|British judge (1923–2019)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Owen Stable | honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|QC|JP}} | image = | alt = | caption = | office = | term_start = | term_end = | birth_name = Rondle Owen Charles Stable | birth_date = 1923 | birth_place = | death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|1923|df=yes}} | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = }} '''Rondle Owen Charles Stable''' (1923 - 2019) was a British judge, who served as senior presiding judge at [[Snaresbrook Crown Court]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=admin|title=Master Owen Stable1923 – 2019|url=https://www.middletemplar.org.uk/master-owen-stable/|access-date=2021-03-10|website=Middle Templar Magazine|language=en-GB}}</ref> He was the son of High Court judge [[Wintringham Stable|Sir Wintringham Stable]].

== Inspection into the conduct of Robert Maxwell == Between 1971 and 1973, Stable acted as an inspector for the [[Department of Trade and Industry (United Kingdom)|Department of Trade and Industry]] on the conduct of [[Robert Maxwell]] in relation to [[Pergamon Press]]. The inspection report,<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Stable|first1=Rondle Owen Charles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-K0iAQAAIAAJ|title=Report on the Affairs of Maxwell Scientific International (Distribution Services) Limited, Robert Maxwell & Co: Limited, and Final Report on the Affairs of Pergamon Press Limited: Investigation Under Section 169(b) of the Companies Act 1948|last2=Leach|first2=Sir Ronald|last3=Industry|first3=Great Britain Department of Trade and|date=1973|publisher=H.M. Stationery Office|isbn=978-0-11-510789-4|language=en}}</ref> co-authored with accountant Sir Ronald Leach found that "a large number of private companies including foreign companies exist in which Mr. Maxwell or his family have an interest.".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cohen|first=Roger|date=1991-12-20|title=Maxwell's Empire: How It Grew, How It Fell -- A Special Report.; Charming the Big Bankers Out of Billions (Published 1991)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/20/business/maxwell-s-empire-it-grew-it-fell-special-report-charming-big-bankers-billions.html|access-date=2021-03-10|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The report concluded with the words, "We are also convinced that Mr Maxwell regarded his stewardship duties fulfilled by showing the maximum profits which any transaction could be devised to show. Furthermore, in reporting to shareholders and investors he had a reckless and unjustified optimism which enabled him on some occasions to disregard unpalatable facts and on others to state what he must have known to be untrue ... We regret having to conclude that, notwithstanding Mr Maxwell's acknowledged abilities and energy, he is not in our opinion a person who can be relied on to exercise proper stewardship of a publicly quoted company."<ref>{{cite book|last=Wearing|first=Robert|title=Cases in Corporate Governance|date=24 May 2005|publisher=SAGE Publications Ltd|isbn=1412908779|location=London|pages=28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Cohan|first=William D.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iu6LraWEGOEC&q=regret+having+to+conclude+that+notwithstanding+Mr+Maxwell%27s+owen+stable&pg=PT506|title=Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the World|date=2012|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-0-241-95406-5|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Wearing|first=Robert|url=http://sk.sagepub.com/books/cases-in-corporate-governance|title=Cases in Corporate Governance|date=2005|location=London|doi=10.4135/9781446212400 |isbn=9781412908771 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Observer from London, Greater London, England on November 10, 1991 · 31|url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/258090031/|access-date=2021-03-10|website=Newspapers.com|date=10 November 1991 |language=en}}</ref>

== Prominent cases == Stable acted as QC for the prosecution in the trial of [[Peter Hain]], in relation to four charges pertaining to the illegal disruption of events involving South African sports teams.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Warman |first=Christopher |title=On This Day The Times, July 28, 1972 |newspaper=[[The Times]] |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/best-law-firms/profile-legal/article/on-this-day-the-times-july-28-1972-c0wwhmhzcnq |access-date=2022-08-25 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> Hain was subsequently fined £200 for criminal damage for his role in a sit-down protest to disrupt a 1969 [[Davis Cup]] tie between Britain and South Africa in Bristol.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Naughton |first=Philippe |title=Peter Hain: profile of a rebel |newspaper=[[The Times]] |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/peter-hain-profile-of-a-rebel-lq3wwg6dt5t |access-date=2022-08-25 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Conspiracy conviction |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/3573784/Conspiracy-conviction.html |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=www.telegraph.co.uk|date=3 March 2002 }}</ref> Speaking at the trial, Stable argued that "Mr Hain would appear to hold the view that, provided the object is a proper object, methods may be used regardless of the law to which he is subject. That is a terribly dangerous philosophy."<ref name=":0" />

Judge Stable gave a deferred sentence to [[John Hervey, 7th Marquess of Bristol|Lord Bristol]], offering the peer a chance to beat his drug addiction to avoid imprisonment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Deferred sentence gives peer last chance to beat drug problem |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12730355.deferred-sentence-gives-peer-last-chance-to-beat-drug-problem/ |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=HeraldScotland |date=6 July 1993 |language=en}}</ref>

On 16 December 1994, while sentencing three young offenders for joyriding, Judge Stable advocated the use of the "rattan cane" as a deterrent<ref>{{Cite web |date=1994-12-17 |title=Judge backs flogging |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/judge-backs-flogging-1387703.html |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> as "it would not only deter you but would deter a lot of other young men."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Elliott |first=Valerie |date=18 December 1994 |title=Judge stands by his call for caning |work=Sunday Telegraph |url=https://corpun.com/ukju9412.htm |access-date=25 August 2022}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stable, Rondle Owen Charles}} [[Category:1923 births]] [[Category:2019 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century English judges]] [[Category:People educated at Winchester College]] [[Category:Rifle Brigade officers]] [[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]] [[Category:Members of the Middle Temple]] [[Category:English King's Counsel]] [[Category:20th-century King's Counsel]] [[Category:21st-century King's Counsel]] [[Category:English justices of the peace]] [[Category:Circuit judges (England and Wales)]]