Ludovic Kennedy, 1919-2009

October 20, 2009 11:29 AM

Sir Ludovic Kennedy has died at the age of 89. Kennedy was a journalist, broadcaster and long standing campaigner against miscarriages of justice and the death penalty and for euthanasia.

Kennedy's most famous investigation was into the 10 Rillington Place murders. Kennedy's book of that name showed up numerous flaws in the police inquiry and trial of Timothy Evans, which had led to Evans' conviction and execution. This work was highly significant in the halting and later the abolition of the death penalty in Britain. He was also active in investigating the miscarriages of justice related to IRA terrorism cases of the 70s and 80s: the Guildford Four, the Maguire Seven and the Birmingham Six.

In later years, Kennedy was best known as a campaigner for the right to euthanasia, and chaired the Voluntary Euthanasia society (now Dignity In Dying).

On the lighter side, he hosted a series of interviews with Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling (aka Peter Cook) called "A Life In Pieces", and interviewed Jim Hacker several times in "Yes Minister".

posted by Electric Dragon (14 comments total)

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Need more like him.
posted by lalochezia at 11:40 AM on October 20, 2009

Here are all the episodes of A Life In Pieces, which is comedy genius.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 11:40 AM on October 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

Ar dheis De go raibh a h-anam.

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posted by Wilder at 11:42 AM on October 20, 2009

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posted by WPW at 11:58 AM on October 20, 2009

Incidentally, his name comes from his grandfather, the baronet sir Ludovic Grant, which makes him a relation of Ludovic Grant, the Scottish trader who married into the Cherokee nation in the 18th Century.
posted by Kattullus at 12:03 PM on October 20, 2009

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posted by ob at 12:21 PM on October 20, 2009

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Incidentally₂, there was a brief moment of terrible confusion between the end of the first and beginning of the second lines when I thought he was a "long standing campaigner against miscarriages."
posted by Solon and Thanks at 12:40 PM on October 20, 2009

He was a remarkable man, the like of which we will probably never see again, because he was a product of his class and time.

He wrote a marvellous book about the Lindbergh kidnapping, The Airman and the Carpenter, which set out very persuasive arguments for Hauptmann's innocence.
posted by essexjan at 2:41 PM on October 20, 2009

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His 1989 memoirs, "On my Way to the Club" is a great read.
posted by rongorongo at 4:20 PM on October 20, 2009

He was a remarkable man, the like of which we will probably never see again, because he was a product of his class and time.

When I first came across Ludovic Kennedy, he'd just finished his book on Hanratty. Robert Kilroy Silk was a young politician whose main interest was penal reform.

Whatever happened to journalists who fought against miscarriages of justice and politicians who supported penal reform?

Today, they've abandoned the Atheneum and Whites for the Groucho and Soho House and aspire to earn a living haranguing the underclass on daytime television.

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posted by PeterMcDermott at 5:03 PM on October 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

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A great man indeed.
posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 1:36 AM on October 21, 2009

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posted by nthdegx at 4:05 AM on October 21, 2009

He also sank the Bismarck
posted by A189Nut at 11:31 AM on October 21, 2009

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I wonder if this makes my press review copy of Enigma that Ludo scribbled copiously on for a book review any more valuable. Probably not.
posted by hardcode at 11:32 AM on October 21, 2009