MR. JUSTICE HERDMAH

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 143, 6 March 1918, Page 6

MR. JUSTICE HERDMAH

WELCOME FROM CANTERBUItf'BAR CEREMONY IN CHRISTCHUSCh! SUPREME COURT Members of the Bar in Canterbury assembled in the Christchurch Supremo Court on Monday to welcome lUr. Justice Herdman, recently appointed to tho Supreme Court Bench, who took his juaicial seat in ■ Christchurch tor, the tirst time that mowing. As president of the Canterbury Law: Society, Mr. M. Donnelly said he wished to address a lew words of welcome to His Honour on the occasion of his assumption of tho exalted position of a Judge of the Supremo Court in the district. First, he wished to express, on behalf of the Bar, as a whole, great sympathy with His Honour in tiie bereavement he had recently suffered., Mr. Donnelly went on to say; that' he felt suru tliat there was not wish on liis Honour's part, any more than there was a desiro on the speaker's part, that the occasion should be made one lor- an oratorical, or an. attempted oratorical, display of- any; kind, or that there should be an indulgence in trite platitudes as to what the traditions of Bench and Bar had been, or what Judges had accomplished lor this country in the past,, or what it was hoped they would accomplish in the future. Justice was the maiu thing that had to be attended to in any British Court of justice. The Bar knew full well that His Honour came to tho Bench with the full desire to do the fullest and amplest justice to every matter that might he submitted to his consideration by members of the Bar in Canterbury. Tho speaker assured His Honour that the members of the Bar in Canterbury would do all that lay in their power to make his work as little irksome as possible. They trusted that always the very best feeling would prevail between His Honour and the members of the Bar. His Honour came to the Bench as a comparatively young man,, and in the ordinary course of Nature, and under Providence, His Honour should have a loug judicial career ahead of him. The Bar trusted that in that judicial career, and in his otber activities, His Honour would meet with great success, and that the results would be satisfactory to His Honour and beneficial, to tho Canterbury Bar and the public. Mr. Donnelly ■tendered His Honour the heartiest congratulations of the Canterbury Bar on the distinguished position he now held, and earnestly hoped that he would live long in health, and happiness tc shed lustre upon them.

For the Soldier-Lawyers; — Mr. S. G. Raymond, • K. 0., vice--president of the Canterbury Law Society, said His Honour came to the Bench at the zenith of his powers and with the p:ospect of many years of judicial service before him. His Honour also came to the Bench after having held the highest law office of the Crown in the Dominion. That position conferred —not a right to a seat on the Bench, as was sometimes" said— but a great qualification, of estimable value, for a judicial career. There were many members of the Bar present to welcome -His Honour, bub there were other members, younger members, not present. Host of the absent memhers ,were engaged in service of a different nature, and, a different' character, in the field of Franoe and Palestine. His Honour as an officer of the State, and in the administration of affairs prior to his elevation to tho Bench, had shown so much devotion, had devoted so much time and thought,. to the welfare of soldiers, that the speaker felt he was also able to extend to His Honour a ■welcome on behalf of the soldier-law-yers. Mr. Raymond wished His Honour many years of judicial service and of pleasant relations with the Bar and the public.

His Honour's Reply. Mr. Justice Herdinan, in replyj expressed his sincere gratitude for the kindly welcome he had received. Before ho arrived in Ghristchurch he had realised that he could bo certain of the kindly co-operation of members of the legal profession. He looked forward now with certainty to a happy, prosperous, and, he hoped, profitable life in a city of many great attractions. To bo suddenly translated from the violence and tumult of political life to the tranquillity of this institution was a great thing in life. He regretted for many reasons the translation from the constant changes of experience, tho high responsibilities, and the enjoyment one got, and the excitement which controversy engendered. It was a satisfaction, however, to him that it had been his privilege and pleasure to bo one of'the King's Ministers in some of the most eventful years of the country's history. He was well aware that,for the good of the community, only ihose who could command the confidence of the public should be appointed to the position which it was now his honour to hold. The Judges of England and New Zealand enjoyed the confidence of tho public. He was not unmindful that lie was succeeding 0119 who had commanded the esteem of tho public and tho confidence of the legal profession for many years. He was rot going to enter into prophecy, but ho hoped to gain the confidence of the people of Christchurch and to do the work that would be of value to the country of which he- had the greatest opinion, and to the people to .witoni ne had learned in years of public service to be deeply attached. He felt deeply, the sympathetic reference that Mr. Donnelly had made to his bereavement.His Honour added that tho presence of so many members of the Bar led him to believe that lie could look forward confidently to efficient administration, of justice in the future, and he was sure that their relations would be most happy. ,