Educated at George Watson's College, Edinburgh, and Balliol College,
Oxford, he became a barrister and in 1934 became Britain's youngest KC
since the 16th century. He was elected a Conservative Party member of
the House of Commons in 1935. In 1942 Winston Churchill appointed
Maxwell Fyfe as Solicitor General, but he lost office after the Labour
Party won the election of 1945. However, he became deputy chief
prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials. He returned to office as Home
Secretary (1951-54) and Lord Chancellor (1954-1962).