[1] Rant was born on 16 April 1936 in the Romford district of Essex and was educated at Stowe School and Selwyn College, Cambridge.
[1] He graduated from Selwyn College in 1958 and was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1961.
[1] In 1991, he was appointed the Judge Advocate General, the first for a long time without a background or connection to the military.
[1] He further reformed the system to reflect the introduction of the Human Rights Act including the creation of summary appeal courts.
[1] Rant was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1995 Birthday Honours.