JUDGE TO RETIRE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 114, 16 May 1942, Page 6

JUDGE TO RETIRE

SIR HUBERT OSTLER HEALTH HAS BEEN FAILING (P A.) WELLINGTON, Friday. The Minister of Justice, Mr. Mason, announced to-day that Mr. Justice Ostler had given formal notice of his intention to retire from the Bench of the Supreme Court as from October next.

Mr. Mason said it was generally known that Mr. Justice Ostler's health had been failing for some time, but with characteristic courage he had long resisted the inclination to give up judicial work. He would in the meantime be stationed in Weilington and would assist in the work of the local Supreme Court.

The Minister said the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, had advised him that the judges had offered, because of war conditions, to carry on the Judicial work after Mr. Justice Ostler's retirement without any new appointment being made. Tho Government had accepted this offer and the vacancy would not be filled unless circumstances changed.

Mr. Justice Ostler was a member of the Auckland law firm of Jackson, Russell, Tunks and Ostler when he was appointed to the Supreme Court Bench In December, J924, filling the vacancy caused by the death of Sir John Salmond. He was born in 1876 in Canterbury ahd educated at Victoria University College. He graduated LL-B. in 1905. He was associate to the then Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, from 1903 to 1907, and for three years subsequently was editor of the New Zealand Law Reports, while practising as a barrister in Wellington. Jn 1910 he became Crown solicitor and Crown prosecutor in Wellington and held that position until 1915, when he Joined the Auckland firm with which le practised until his appointment to the Judiciary. One of Sir Hubert Ostler's great Interests was In the big game of South Africa. He ia a former member of the Senate of the University of New Zealand and a former examiner in law to the university. He was appointed chairman of the Prisons Board in 1938 and was knighted in the 1939 New Year honours-