John Mark Alexander Colville, 4th Viscount Colville of Culross (19 July 1933 – 8 April 2010), was a British judge and politician. He was one of the 92 hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords after the House of Lords Act 1999.
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Early life and education
Colville was born in 1933, the son of Charles Colville, 3rd Viscount Colville of Culross, and his wife Kathleen Myrtle Gale. He succeeded to his father's viscountcy in 1945 at the age of twelve.
He was educated at Rugby School and New College, Oxford, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in law in 1957, and with a Master of Arts in 1963.
Career
Colville served in the Grenadier Guards, reaching the rank of Lieutenant. Called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1960, he became a Queen's Counsel in 1978 and a Bencher in 1986.
Between 1980 and 1983, he was the representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Between 1983 and 1987, Colville was the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Guatemala. He also served in the British government as chair of the Mental Health Act Commission. He was chairman of the Parole Board for England and Wales from 1988 to 1992, Recorder from 1990 to 1993, and Judge of the South Eastern Circuit from 1993 to 1999. From 1996 to 2000, he was a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. From 2001 he served as Assistant Surveillance Commissioner.
Marriages and children
Colville was married twice. He was married firstly to Mary Elizabeth Webb-Bowen on 4 October 1958. They had four sons:
Charles Mark Townshend Colville, 5th Viscount Colville of Culross (born 5 September 1959)
Hon. Richmond James Innys Colville (born 9 June 1961)
Hon. Alexander Fergus Gale Colville (born 9 July 1964)
Hon. Rupert George Streatfeild Colville (born 17 May 1966)
Following a divorce in 1973 Colville was married secondly to Margaret Birgitta Davidson, Viscountess Davidson (née Norton), former wife of Andrew Davidson, 2nd Viscount Davidson, in 1974. They had one son:
Hon. Edmund Carleton Colville (born 14 July 1978)
Death
Lord Colville died at the age of 76 in 2010. His funeral was held at St Nicholas' Church, West Lexham. He was succeeded in the viscountcy by his eldest son, Charles.