MR JUSTICE ADAMS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 July 1932, Page 7

MR JUSTICE ADAMS

A DISTINGUISHED JURIST. The following account, of the career of Mr Justice Adams, who is retiring from the' Supreme Court' Bench, is from the “Otago Daily Times” Mr Justice, Adams belongs to a family which ranked ’among the A very early settlers of New Zealand, his parents having arrived at Pori Chalmers in„ 1848. He received his education at tl\e old Stone School, at which* he was a pup'l while Sir Robert Stout was teaching there, .and when 17 or 18 years of age he decided to enter the legal profession. Ho enured the office of an elder brother, Mr j. A. D. Adams,.and carried out- bis studies so thorough.y and proved his adaptability for the profession so definitely that when he passed _ his final .examination in 1883 he received, the award of the Canterbury Law .Society’s Mr Juft-ce Adams was'admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in ■ .September, 1883, and then entered into a partnerehip with his brother/the two carrying on business together’ until 1910, when the, partnership was dissolved by the retirement of the elder -brother. He then carried on the practice ■; alone . until about, two yearg before his elevation to the Supreme Court Bench, when he was joined by his two ’sons, Messrs F, B, Adnps and H, S. -.Aclaints, who are now in business as Messrs Adams Brothers, During his l°ng career as a practitioner Mr Justice.* Adams took part in many important ca ? es, and one of his greatest successes was achieved in 1888, when he was only 27 years of age. On that occasion, in the Court of Appeal, he successfully fought Sir Robert Stout, who was then at ’the height of his fame, in the .Roche case, in which it .wag decided that /a married woman could not hold a pitblican’s license. In July, 1920, on the retirement from the position of Crown Solicitor in Dunedin of Mr W. C. MacGregor (now Mr Justice MacGregor), in order to take up the office of 'Solicitor-Genera 1 , Mr Justice Adams was, selected to succeed bira. This, was but'a stepping stone to higher honours, for iti March, 1921, h was elevated to the Supreme Court Bench to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Mr Justice Cooper. His appointment was a tribute to the Dunedin Bar, and followed yn the selection of a number of its members

for appointment .to the higher branches of the profession. During his practice at the Bar Mr Adams earned a high reputation, and ythat reputation ha.been enhanced during' his career hs a .Judge,