The family lived in Prestwich,[1] now part of Greater Manchester, but at that time in Lancashire; Levy remained a proud Lancastrian throughout his life.
[2] At the age of 11, Levy won a place at Bury Grammar School[3] and, by the time he was in the upper sixth, had been appointed a prefect[4] and captain of the 3rd XI soccer team.
[3] Although he was far from diligent in his studies,[7] he graduated LLB (Honours) and, after attending the Inns of Court School of Law, he was called to the bar by the Inner Temple in 1969.
Acting for the official solicitor, representing the girl's interests, Levy took the case as far as the House of Lords, which allowed the operation to go ahead, though not without considerable controversy.
[7] In one emergency case, in which an Oxford student tried (ultimately unsuccessfully) to stop his girlfriend having an abortion, Levy was briefed in the lift on the way up to the court.
He chaired the British Medical Association's steering group that published its practical guidance, Consent, Rights and Choices in Healthcare for Children and Young People in 2000.
[8] At the time of his final illness, Levy was poised to represent a group of parents suing paediatricians and a local authority for errant accusations of abuse and subsequently taking their children into care.
The report offered detailed, key recommendations, stating that Pindown was unethical, unprofessional and unacceptable' and, furthermore, was 'a fundamental abuse of human rights.
[11] The inquiry, the first into residential care, led to the Quality Protects initiative, launched by the Department of Health in 1998, which sought to improve a range of childcare services.
Also in 1992, he became a fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and in 2001, he served as visiting professor at Washburn University School of Law in Kansas.
[1] He insisted on finding time to help younger members of chambers,[2] and had "a large circle of friends among bench and bar".