SIR MICHAEL MYERS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 December 1931, Page 3

SIR MICHAEL MYERS

CHIEF JUSTICE HONOURED. The King’s approval of the appointment of Sir Michael Myers, Chief Justice, as a member of the Privy Council, was announced by the GovernorGeneral, Lord Bledisloe, recently. The appointment will enable New Zealand to resume its representation on the Judical Committee of the Privy Council. The Dominion has not been, represented on that tribunal since the death of Sir Robert Stout in July, ,1930.

The Rt. Hon. Sir Michael Myers, K.C., K.C.M.G., P.C., was appointed Chief Justice of New Zealand in succession. to the late Hon Sir Charles Skerrett on April 30, 1t)29. An outstanding member of the legal profession, Sir Michael’s career has been o«e of brilliant achievement.

Born in Motueka on September 7, 1873, he is a son of the late Mr J. Myers, founder of the firm of Messrs J. Myers and Co., Ltd. He was educated at Thorndon School, Wellington College, and Canterbury University College, distinguishing himself at the age of twelve by winning—.and topping the list in—a primary education board scholarship, of which at that time only six were awarded. He attended Wellington College for five years, and in addition to winning another primary education board scholarship obtained various college examinations and scholarships, including the Turnbull scholarship. In 1892, Sir Michael joined the staff of Messrs Bell, Gully and Izard, and graduated in LL.B four years later. In March, 1897, be was admitted a banister and solicitor of the Supreme Court, and to 1899 he was admitted to partnership in the firm. He remained as a member of Messrs Bell Gully and Bell and Myers (altered in title in 1919 to Messrs Bell, Gully, Myers and O’Leary), until September, 1922, when he became a King’s Counsel, and in accordance with the terms of the Law Practitioners Amendment Act, j 1915, Ije .commenced practice on his own account as a barrister only. A DISTINGUISHED BARRISTER;. A long association with Sir Francis Bell and the late Mr H. Gully, proved of great advantage to Sir Michael, and immediately after his-admission to the Bar in 1897, he gained a substantial practice, both as barrister and solicitor,. and for many years until 1910 he took a large proportion of Crown cases, both criminal and civil. Tiler© were few important civil oases in the twenty years prior to his elevation to the Chief Justiceship in which Sir Michael did not appear. In the ‘sugar’ case in 1912 and 1913 lie acted in conjunction with the late. Sir-Charles Skerrett, and in the ‘flour’ case concerning Distributors Ltd. in 1924 he also appeared again in association with Sir Charles Skerrett in the Supreme Court at Dunedin, and later in the Court of Appeal. In 1921, Sir Michael appearing with Messrs McVeigh and Johnstone, of Auckland, successfully defended the directors of the Dominion Portland Cement Company, Ltd., in a claim against them by the liquidator for about £200,000 damages. Sir Michael has also conducted cases before the Privy Council. In 1911 he successfully appeared for the respondent in the cases of Allardyee v. Allardyce, and in 1926, he appeared in six cases, including the ‘flour’ case, in all of which he was successful. :M;ANY avOYAL COMMISSIONS.

Sir Michael enjoyed a consideraoie amount of Parliamentary practice. He appeared for Mr Hine in connection with the charges made by him in the House of Representatives in 1910. tie also acted in various election petitions. He was 'in the Stratford election petition, Hine v. Masters, in 1920, in which the petitioner, for whom Sir Michael appeared, was successful. Mr Masters, however, was returned at the new election. In the. Western Maori election petjton .in. 1923, Sir Michael and Mr H. F. O’Leary successfully appeared for the respondent, Sir Maui Pomare. In Royal Commissions, also, he took a prominent part, having conducted many cases, including the following: Waihou and Ohinemuri River Silting, 1910; Auckland Tramway Brakes; Foxton Wharf and North Island Main Trunk Line Deviatron; Sale of Povfertv Bay Meat Company’s Works. One of the last civil cases in which he took part, and which lasted for 18 days, was the arbitration to settle the value of the undertaking to the Hawera Electric Light Company for the purposes of a. proposed purchase by the South Taranaki Electric Power Board. Sir Michael acted for the hoard. For many years he was a member of the Wellington District Law Society, being twice vice president and twice president. He was also a member of the council of the New Zealand Law Society. He was also a member of the council of the New Zealand Law Society. For one year he represented Wellington, and after the elevation of the late Sir Charles Skerrett, to the Bench as Chief Justice, he represented Gisborne. He was a member for several years of the Council of Law Reporting, representing the Wellington District Law Society. He was also the foundation president of the New Zealand Club. On the same day as he entered into the partnership of Messrs Bell, Gully, Bell and Myers, August 2, 1899, Sir Michael married Miss Salom, daughter of the late Hon. Maurice Salom, M.L.C.. of Adelaide, South Australia. Sir Michael received his knighthood in the New Year Honours, 1930. He was sworn in as Administrator of New Zealand on the departure of the former Governor-General, Sir Charles Ferguson, on "February 8 last year. In