GREAT JURIST DEAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 224, 20 September 1924, Page 11

GREAT JURIST DEAD.

SIR JOHN SALMOND. IRREPARABLE LOSS TO BAR. . AUTHOR OF STANDARD WORKS. i . — (By Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Sir John Salmond died last night. By the death of Sir John Salmond the | British Bar has lost one of its glories. The late judge, who graced the New Zealand Supreme Court Bench from May, 1920, till the time of his death, was regarded as one of the world's greatest jurists. Superlative terms j alone can be used in describing his abilities. His death means a loss not only to New Zealand, but to the world, since his text-books are standard works, and his judgments are regarded as models. The late Sir John Salmond was too big | a man to be fully appreciated, even by I members of his own profession. Proof of the fact that he was held in the very -highest regard in the. Homeland was afforded some years ago, • when his father's death waa cabled to England, and, the message being mistakenly interpreted, one of the leading English legal journals published an obituary notice for Sir John, the tribute paid to his invaluable work and capacity being most striking. It fell to the lot of

the late judge to read this most llat- j tering notice, which referred .to I him as one of the ablest jurists in the British Empire. It was also said that his book on torts was one of the finest legal works written during the past 25 years. At the time of his death Sir John was engaged on a newwork on contracts, and it is said that it was almost completed. Sir John was & man with an insatiable appetite for ■work. A man with few interests outside his profession, lie worked long hours and turned out a _ remarkable volume of work. He was noted for his speed, and it was always a matter of comment that 'his reserved decisions were delivered much more quickly than is usually the case. His knowledge of legal principles and his natural gifts of deduction and logical reason were such that he could arrive at a decision with the utmost speed. It is little short of a calamity that a man of Sir John Salmond's calibre should be cut off at what, for a judge, is a comparatively early age, for he was only 62. No less than as a judge, the loss of Sir John will be felt" as a regular and prolific contributor to many leading journals on a wide variety of subjects. Another side to an interesting character is shown when one reads a little book of epigrams, remarkable for their wit and keen satire, which he wrote a short time ago while in bed suffering with measles. A son of" the late Sir John Salmond, Captain Wm. Guthrie Salmond, was killed in action in France on July 0, 1918, at the age of 26 years, while serving in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. His other child, a married daughter, lately resided at Whangarei. At the funeral, which is to he held in Wellington, Mr. H. F. yon Haast, of that city, will represent the Auckland Law Society. At a special gathering of members of the Auckland Law Society, which is to be held at tho Supreme Court on Tuesday, at 10 a.m., Mr. Justice Stringer, Mr. Justice Herdnian, and the president of the society (Mr. A. H. Johnstone) will express their appreciation of the late judge, the announcement of whose death came as a surprise since he was only lately presiding. H. died as doubtless a man of his active temperament and habits would wish tc die—in harness. No other New Zealanc judge in recent years has died before retiring. __ ~, The flasr on the Supreme Court Build

ing was flown at half-mast to-day. A son of the late Professor W. balmond, of Otago University, the deceased judge was born at North Shields, Northumberland, in 1862. He was educated at tbe Otago Boys' High School, Otago University, and University College, London. He was admitted as a barrister of the Supreme Court of New Zealand in 1887, was professor of law in the University of Adelaide from 1897 to 1906, and professor of law in Victoria University College in 1906 and 1907. In 1907 he was appointed counsel to the Law Drafting Office, Wellington, and later SolicitorGeneral (1910). He was knighted in 1918. His appointment to the Supreme Court Bench in May, 1920, gave widespread satisfaction. "Essays in Jurisprudence and Legal History" (1901), "Jurisprudence" (1902). and "Law ol Torts" (1907), were among his many well-known books on law. In 1921 he represented New Zealand at the Washington Conference.- where the limitation of armaments and the problems of the Pacific were discussed.