Remembering Prof. Leonard Leigh

It is with great sadness that the International Penal and Penitentiary Foundation (IPPF) marks the passing of our former member Prof. Leonard (L. H.) Leigh, a distinguished scholar and valued contributor to our community.

Born in Canada in 1935, Prof. Leigh studied law at the University of Alberta before moving to London in 1962 to continue his studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He went on to become Professor of Criminal Law in 1982, a role he held until 1997 when he joined the newly established Criminal Cases Review Commission. His pioneering work on corporate liability, comparative criminal procedure, and miscarriages of justice left a profound mark on criminal law scholarship and practice.

Within the IPPF, Prof. Leigh’s contributions were deeply appreciated. In 1994, he authored a report for our Macau Workshop on “The Rights of Prisoners: From Police Detention to Prison”. He later took part in the XVII Session in Berlin (1996) and the VIII Colloquium in Fuchu, Tokyo (1998), sharing his insights with warmth, clarity, and conviction.

Those who knew him remember not only his intellectual rigor but also his kindness, modesty, and tireless commitment to justice. His work continues to inspire our mission to advance fairness, dignity, and human rights within penal and penitentiary systems worldwide.

The IPPF remembers Prof. Leonard Leigh with gratitude, respect, and affection.