Sir David Arnold Scott Cairns (5 March 1902 – 8 September 1987), was a British judge and Liberal Party politician.
Background Cairns was the son of David Cairns JP, a Freeman of Sunderland, and Sarah Scott Cairns. He was educated at Bede Grammar School for Boys in Sunderland and at Pembroke College, Cambridge. In 1932, he married Irene Cathery Phillips; the couple had one son and two daughters. He was knighted in 1955 and appointed to the Privy Council in 1970.'CAIRNS, Rt. Hon. Sir David (Arnold Scott)', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2015; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 20 May 2015
Political career He was Liberal candidate for the Epsom division of Surrey at the 1947 Epsom by-election.
He did not stand for parliament again.British parliamentary election results 1950-1983, Craig, F.W.S. However, the following year he was elected to Leatherhead Urban District Council. He served for two three-year terms. He was also actively involved inside the Liberal Party on policy development. From 1948-49 he was Chairman of the Liberal Party Commission on Trade Unions. From 1951-53 he was a member of the Liberal Party Committee.
Professional career Cairns was chairman of the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission. He was Lord Justice of Appeal from 1970-77. He presided over a number of notable enquiries and cases; Exxon Corp v Exxon Insurance Consultants International Ltd Re Gray's Inn Construction Co Ltd 1953 Nutts Corner BEA Vickers Viking accident Stonegate Securities Ltd v Gregory Nethermere (St Neots) Ltd v Gardiner
References