Legal Men Mourn Loss of Leader

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 593, 20 February 1929, Page 1

Legal Men Mourn Loss of Leader

Bench and Bar Pay Homage to Sir Chas. Skerrctt’s Memory

JIDGE BLAIR’S DEEP FEELING

The high esteem in which the late Ch i e f justice, Sir Charles Skerrett, w ,« held in Auckland legal circles, was emphasised this morning when a large and representative assembly 0 f members of the Auckland Law Society, the magistracy and the Police Department met at the Supreme Court to honour, with Mr. justtce Blair and Mr. Justice Kennedy ,the memory of the dead Judge. rpHE death of the Chief Justice is *■ in any country an event of national importance, and is occasion lor expression of national regret,’* said Mr. F. L. Or. West, president of the Law Society. “The newspapers throughout the whole country have been filled with the story of the life and work of the Chief Justice. But our knowledge of him is a more personal one. We mourn the greatest of our brethren. We have laid aside our work not only to pay tribute to a great Judge, but also to a great man.” So short a time had Sir Charles occupied the Chief Justiceship that members of the Bar were likely to remember him as plain Charles Skerrett, K.C., continued Mr. West. Those who knew' him would agree in summing up his life that it had been marked by outstanding features. On the intellectual side he was in possession of one of the best analytical minds of the day, and had also the rare capacity for sustained thinking. On the social side was found his great love of freedom. ‘The innate modesty of Sir Charles would have rebelled against a continual laudin# of liim, and I conclude with an expression of the sympathy which we feel for his relatives and our hope that these words will be some consolation in their loss.” LOVE FOR GREAT MAN Addressing the assembly Mr. Justice Blair, who spoke with deep emotion, said: “It were better far that the duty and honour of paying due tribute to the memory of New Zealand’s greatest lawyer and Judge should have fallen to a tongue more eloquent than mine, but I yield to no one in the claim that if respect and admiration, even love for the great man just departed be any qualification to speak, then am I indeed qualified. "I bear for him a love passing that of woman. We mourn the loss of a great leader, a man who was my greatest inspiration as he was an inspiration to all honoured by his friendship. it would be easy to multiply instance upon instance of what lie accomplished, and showing his sterling ; character and loving heart. To do j >o now seems futile to me, because j II is not what we now say but what i ** did that counts.

His whole life was the very embodiment of inspiring devotion to "ork, not lor personal or material •ograndisement, but because of a *ie<*p consciousness of a duty to those —whether man or State—who required his services. Nor did he ever swerve ;rom a determination to' what he be’.teved right. SUFFERED WITH FORTITUDE in his last remaining days in New Zealand, racked though he was by the ravages of the disease which ultimately claimed him, he bore his Pain with fortitude, steadily refusing a dmit even to himself that his ’-dly maimed body, the legacy of his malady, was capable of preventing him • >m performing the duties of his high oSlce. brother Judge, Judge Kennedy, • a niyseif. saw him within a few • _ , rs bis departure from New Zeach ’ an< * his last words were those of a v:., r an< * encouragement to us and ' ng hope for his speedy return to v e ’ W© join with you in voicing now , a * an d 8 irreparable loss, and it :b« i° n y remains for us to perform D , a ast loving office of a friend, and a u Pon the grave of his memory eat b of acknowledgement of his L. aess * and of his love for his ‘*uow men.” BORN IN INDIA A REPORT CORRECTED Press Association OAMARU, To-day. re- e ?. Corc * inK to two local residents, the (>' ap f“ ces to the late Chief Justice. Bir inJtm? 8 bk(? rrett, being born in Well\lrV re si<l e n‘ T * r cd Simpkin. a well-known recharlL°ii ° amaru . states that Sir it tha skerrett was born in India and !and n w4h e K ? f 10 or 12 years left Eng•n bis parents and grandmother 1:575 a * i. p Hannibal on March 10, 1875* lvin S at Nelson on June 10, o& tV. Charles Skerrett then went Mr ? ellin §ton. &ker*W m P kin states that Sir Charles - **• J - Duggan, retired self piaster, of Oamaru, and he Minor tw_J* e Passengers on the Hannibal On f J ri P- . »Yp n j interviewed later this stiten? 3r ‘ Duggan confirmed the Mr mude Ex Mr. Simpkin. ziven , u fsan stated that the facts ‘ at sir /m r ‘ jSinipkin are correct, and Indi* u t-harles Skerrett was born in the irl s father being connected w itli Zealand Tho family came to New Nmni-in at t,le fhne mentioned by Ml*, 'in om n ’. ai , ld Sir Charles Skerrett was 'ather of Nelson College. His Uallfiecl fcr tlie Car in ew