Lionel Astor Sheridan

Lionel Astor "Lee" Sheridan (born 21 July 1927) is a former educator and academic who served as the first Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Malaya, and its successor universities, in Singapore. He has been considered the "Father of Legal Education in Malaya".[1]:364

Early life and education

Lionel Astor Sheridan was born on 21 July 1927 in Croydon, Surrey, to Stanley Frederick Sheridan and Anne Quednan.[2]:1 He was educated at Whitgift School, and had at seventeen planned to enter Pembroke College, Cambridge, and study English and French litereature. However, he changed his mind and began studying for a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of London instead, graduating in 1947. In the next year, he was called to the bar.[1]:338–9

After being called to the bar, he planned to study for a PhD at the University of London, and began teaching part-time as an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Nottingham to cover tuition costs. In 1949, he was given a lectureship at Queen's University Belfast and subsequently transferred his doctoral candidacy there. At Queen's, his doctoral supervisor was J. L. Montrose.[1]:338–9

Sheridan's doctoral thesis, 'Fraud in Equity', was published and received some amount of critical acclaim.[1]:339

Academic career

In July 1956, Sheridan and his family arrived in Singapore, and he immediately set about his task of creating a Faculty of Law at the University of Malaya,[1]:340 as recommended by Roland Braddell and R. G. D. Allen in a report commissioned by the university.[3]:241 Sheridan's first lecture was on 19 October 1956.[1]:370

As Dean of the new faculty, Sheridan set about hiring a wide range of academic staff, and the early faculty included:[1]:342–4

Following the creation of an academic staff, Sheridan's first graduating class was in 1961. Despite his English background, Sheridan believed it was necessary to design the course so it was relevant to the local culture, and in 1960 stated that "success has been achieved in introducing a syllabus adapted to Malayan needs". He ensured that only English legal history which was relevant to Malayan law would be covered in classes, and focused on local customary law within his own work.[1]:350–2

Sheridan's views on education differed from those that were mainstream at the time: he began teaching the Socratic method to his students,[3]:241 and argued that "examinations should test ability to argue from available legal materials and not the ability to remember what materials are available".[1]:354 Alongside this was Sheridan's insistence that students learn the philosophical premises of the law, with a mandatory reading of legal theory and philosophy.[4]:328

The law library

As early as 1957, Sheridan had set about creating a law library for the newly formed faculty to use. A report published by Sheridan in that year stated "we have almost a complete library of Malayan law though lacking some of the more ancient reports". He began subscribing to a range of periodicals from around the world, and made use of local lawyers and experts to source materials for the library.[1]:355–6

University of Malaya Law Review

As a way of spreading legal information throughout Singapore, he created the University of Malaya Law Review journal (later the Malaya Law Review and now the Singapore Journal of Legal Studies) in 1960. He had hoped the journal would become "important all over the world", and called its creation his "proudest achievement".[1]:358–9 Sheridan had retired as editor of the journal by its third volume, and was succeeded by Geoffrey Wilson Bartholomew.[5]:9

Later career

In May 1963, Sheridan left Singapore and returned to Belfast and became Professor of Comparative Laws at Queen's.[5]:11 In June 1963, the newly formed University of Singapore conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.[1]:363–5

He was instrumental in the creation of the Law Faculty at University College Cardiff.[1]:337 In March 1987, he became acting principal of the college, following C. W. L. Bevan's pre-retirement sabbatical leave. During this period, the college was facing high levels of debt and Sheridan was left to attempt to solve the issue by asking staff for short-term loans.[6]

Personal life

On 1 June 1948, Sheridan married Margaret Helen Béghin: in 1984 they had a daughter (Linda Anne) and a son (Peter Louis).[2]:1 Margaret assisted him in entertaining staff and students, and also edited parts of his work.[1]:339

Selected works

Andrew Phang refers to over 170 works published by Sheridan,[1]:397–408 of which the following are a selection:

Books
Title Time of first publication First edition publisher/publication Unique identifier Notes
Elementary Law - An Introduction for the Malayan Citizen 1957 OCLC 9203351 Co-written with Tan Boon Teik
The Cy-Près Doctrine 1959 Sweet & Maxwell OCLC 10722807 Co-written with V. T. H. Delany
Malaya and Singapore, The Borneo Territories, The Development of their Laws and Constitutions 1961 Stevens & Sons OCLC 971389006
The Modern Law of Charities 1992 Barry Rose OCLC 27144375 Co-edited with George W. Keeton

Articles
Title Time of publication Publication Unique identifier Notes
"Federation of Malaya Constitution" 1959 University of Malaya Law Review JSTOR 24874705
"The Repatriation of the Common Law" 1965 Current Legal Problems

References
  1. Phang Boon Leong, Andrew (1999). "Founding Father and Legal Scholar – the Life and Work of Professor la Sheridan". Singapore Journal of Legal Studies: 333–408. ISSN 0218-2173. JSTOR 24868119. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  2. Shoy, Lee Ang (1984). "A Tribute to Professor L.A. Sheridan". Singapore Law Review. 5.
  3. Li-ann, Thio; YL Tan, Kevin (2017). "Teaching Constitutional and Administrative Law at Nus: Mission, Materials and Methods 1957-2017". Singapore Journal of Legal Studies: 239–257. ISSN 0218-2173. JSTOR 44986454. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  4. Tan, Kevin (1999). The Singapore Legal System. NUS Press. ISBN 978-9971-69-213-1. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  5. Tan, Kevin Y.L. (2009). "The Journey of a Journal: 50 Years of the "Singapore Journal of Legal Studies"". Singapore Journal of Legal Studies: 1–24. ISSN 0218-2173. JSTOR 24870279. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  6. Heath, Tony (22 April 1987). "Lecturers lend cash to help bail out hard-pressed college". The Guardian. p. 4. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
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