Henry William Rawson Wade 1918–2004

Sir William Wade dominated two diverse areas of law – real property and administrative law – by writing the textbooks that became a source of first reference for students, scholars, practitioners, and judges. While he was the leading academic land lawyer of his generation, he will principally be remembered as one of the two scholars who did most to revitalise administrative law during the 20th century. Wade's scholarly career lasted over sixty years, and he remained active into his eighties. He wrote with penetrating clarity and an elegant and memorable turn of phrase, often expressing himself in trenchant terms. Wade did this both when grappling with the technicalities of property law and, in the heady atmosphere of constitutional principles, with the respective roles of executive government and the courts.