JUDGE RESIGNS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 November 1933, Page 8

JUDGE RESIGNS

HIGH SPEED DIVORCE RECORD L0I11) MERRI YALE’S 11,000 SUITS' LONDON, November 20. For many years one of the most distinguished personalities on the British judicial Bench, Lord Merrivale, has resigned his position as President of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice. His successor has been appointed in Sir Frank Povd Merriman, K.C., M.P., the Solicitor-General.

Lord Merrivale is 78, and has been President of the Divorce Division sinc e 1919. It is estimated that he has tried over 11,000 divorce suits. The celerity with which he has gone about his duties earned for him the nick-name ol the high-speed judge. Thirty-five undefended divorce cases were an easy day’s work for him, and he frequently finished his daily task in time to relieve brother judges. His average time for the hearing of ail undefended case was six minutes.

The record for high-speed divorce is held bv Lord Merrivale. Thi s was a petition in which he heard the evidence of two witnesses and granted a decree nisi 'to a woman petitioner. It tooK exactly two minutes. An expert knowledge of shorthand, which he invariably used to take notes, is said to be the secret of his expedition in disposing of cases. One of the most famous Admiralty casasf whijeh came under his jurisdiction was feat in which he awarded £‘22,685 as prize bounty to Admirals Jeilioe and Bieatty for ti.be part they played in the battle of Jutland.

Lord -Merrivale is one of the many distinguished men who entered the legal profession by way of journalism. Tue son of a Dartmoor granite quarry manager,'he was called to the Bar at Grey’s Inn in 1885, after serving as a reporter in the Press Gallery of the House cf Commons. He took silk in 18,99. Since barrister days he has been famed for his deep, strong, and melodious voice. He once used it for 18 hours as counsel in an appeal arising, out of the Titanic disaster. He was formerly Sir Henry Edward Duke, and was created a peer in 1925. He became member cf Parliament for Plymouth in 1900, and later sat for ■ eight years for the Exeter division.