THE KNIGHTS OF LAW,

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2114, 24 June 1907, Page 1

THE KNIGHTS OF LAW,

ADMISSION AS KING’S COUNSEL INTERESTING CEKEMONIAL. The‘severely male atmosphere that usually invesls the atmosphere of the Supreme Court was this morning lightened for a brief interval by the presence of feminine grace (says the Auckland Star of June 17th), the admission to the dignity of King’s Counsel of Messrs. J. A. Tolo (Crown Prosecutor), C. I’. Skerrett (of Wei-1 lington), and F. Baiimu, being re-1 sponsible for the fair invasion. For I at least once in the history of Audiland the ladies occupied the jury boil-I dies, whilo'for the first time in sevo- I ral years the ladies’ gallery was also I brought into requisition, by the privi-'| leged sex. When his Honor Mr. Justico Doiiniston.tookihis seat the Court I was crowded, then legal profession, I duly howigged and . gowned, being I present in force. Mr. C. C. Kettle, as District Judge, occupied a seat on I tlic Bench.. The first row of the bar I was reserved for the newly-appointed I K.C.’s. Among the other legal gen- I tlemen present were Messrs. Earl, I Brewer, McVeigh, Thorne, Burton, I Cotter, Brookfield, lleed, Dr. Bam- I ford. Singer, Colbeck, Macgregor, I Tanks, H. Gully (of Wellington), and I It. B. Lusk. I The patents, which-ran as follows, wore then read by the .Registrar, Mr. 1 U. G. Thomas:— I; “Edward VII., by -the grace of God, I of the United Kingdom of Greatßri-l i Cain and Ireland, and of the' British I ■ dominions beyond the seas, to our I trusty 1 and loving subject, barrister- I at-law. Greeting,—We, confiding in I ‘ your knowledge, experience, pru-1 1 deuce, ability, and integrity, do by I

these presents nominate, constitute, and appoint you, the said , to be one of our counsol learned in the law

for our colony of New Zealand, for and during our pleasure, to take rank and precedence and pre-audi-ence in all our Courts of Justice next after as one of our counsel ol the said colony, and you are to discharge the trust hereby reposed in you with a due respect to our rights and prerogatives, and to God and aur subjects according to law.” Here follows the seal and the inscription : .•‘ln testimony .whereof we have caused these letters to be sealed with the seal of our said colony of New Zea- ■ and at Wellington, in the said colony, this seventh day of June, 1907, in the seventh year of our reign. Witness our right, trusty, and welljoloved, William Lee, Baron Plunkt, Knight Commander of our most distinguished Order of St. Michael ind St. George, Knight Commander if Our Itoyal Victorian Order, Gov-

nor and Coniniander-iii-Cliief in nd over our colony of Neiv v.c-aUnd nd its dependencies.”

Tlie three gentlemen called to the Inner Bar then took the necessary aatli, the form of which has already jeen published. ’ - r ■ " In his address to the. Bar, his Honor said: “As'tlie recent issue of patents as King’s Counsel is the creation of that rank in’New Zealand, I ..hall follow the precedent set by the •Judges in other judicial centres, by laying,a, few words before calling to die Inner Bar those gentlemen who have presented themselves for that purpose. The establishment in this colony of an Inner Bar is, I think, a .natter of congratulation to tho colony and to the legal profession. In tho: first place,. it connects, through the old and honorable order of counsel to the Crown; the colonial Bar ■with the. history, and traditions of the English Bar, and emphasises: the essential solidarity, of the several legal 'organisations to which is entrusted They important duty of asisting the ’Oo’u i ts: in • adin mistering law. thrOugli*oi.il the Empire.' ■ Its chief import'anco and value, however, are, in iniy opinion, that it supplies a dignified

and historical recognition of, and reward for, eminent merit and distinction at the- Bar, and, therefore, a new and powerful incentive and en.piiragemcht to its members, present and future, to continue to preserve the high standard of professional tone, conduct, and honor, which is so Accessary to secure not only the due and. effective administration of

justice, but the confidence of the public in such administration. As to die standing and fitness of tlie gentlemen who will now form the Inner. Bar, I do not think it necessary to add anything to what has been said on other occasions. The appointments have received the emphatic approval of my brother judges, an Approval with which I take this opportunity to express my hearty couyurrenee; they have been received with unanimous satisfaction by the press throughout tho colony; and, judging by wliat has occurred in other quarters and by what I see here to-day, they have received the en:dorsement of that most qualified, most interested, and most critical

tribunal* the members of tho Bar, ’among whom the recipients of the honor have passed their professional lives.” \

Mr. Tole replied-to the Judge’s remarks as follows: —“This is an occasion which, though memorable in many 'respects, is one where brevity of speech is, I think, to be regarded as tho appropriate and becoming form of acknowledgment on our part. "A few days ago Your Honor .was pleased to tender me publicly Your Honor’s congratulations, Today I liave the honor, on my own behalf, and on behalf of iny friend, Mr Skerrett, whom, as a prominent and poular member of tlie Bar from an-ot-her district we are all pleased to see with us, adding eclat- to the occasion, and also, on behalf of my friend, Mr. Baiunc, to express to Your Honor our grateful respects and acknowledgments for 'i our Honor s kindly commendation towards us. personally as recipients, and also tor Your Honor’s references to the distinction which it has been deemed pioper to bestow on us.”