Tributes have been paid to Lord Bingham of Cornhill, the former lord chief justice and one of the pre-eminent judges of his generation, following his death on Saturday.

He had been suffering from cancer and died at his home in Wales aged 76.

Following a career at the bar, Lord Bingham’s distinguished judicial career saw him become the first ever judge to hold the top three judicial posts – master of the rolls, lord chief justice and senior law lord.

His death was announced by the trustees of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. Lord Bingham was president and chairman of the institute, which set up the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law in his honour.

Institute director Robert McCorquodale said: ‘The trustees, members and staff express their deepest sympathy to Lady Bingham and the rest of his family for their great loss. The passing of this exceptional man will also be mourned by innumerable members of the legal community, both in Britain and in the wider world.

‘He will be remembered for his outstanding career, his brilliant mind and his impeccable judgement, as well as for his vast reserves of energy, his humility and his warmth towards others. We will miss him greatly.’

Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge said: ‘On behalf of the judiciary of England and Wales, I would like to express my sorrow at the death of Tom Bingham, the most respected, distinguished and admired judge of our times.’

‘His contributions to our understanding of the significance of the rule of law, and the principled development of the common law, have been unequalled in our generation.

‘Judges throughout the world will recognise Tom Bingham as one of the great jurists of this generation and one of the great common law judges.’