William Norman Birkett, 1st Baron Birkett (6 September 1883 - 10 February 1962) was a British politician, lawyer, preacher and judge. In 1945 his government chose him to serve as its alternate judge at the Allied Forces' Nuremberg Trials in conquered Germany. While he didn't have a vote, he was instrumental in shaping the legal decisions of the trial. Afterward, he served on Britain's Court of Appeal for six years. Birket was a devout member of Britain's Liberal Party, and a brilliant orator. A speech he gave in the House of Lords a mere two days before he died successfully killed a questionable piece of legislation.
Birkett's listing in both the "dead" and "wounded" categories is a matter for debate. Harry Turtledove may have meant to kill off either Birkett or the main British judge, Geoffrey Lawrence, and leave the other wounded, and then confused the two. Or he may have been trying to capture the chaotic confusion of the moment with an instance of mistaken reporting. Either way, Birkett's ultimate fate remains unknown.