LATE LIEUT GERALD FELL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3120, 26 June 1917, Page 4

LATE LIEUT GERALD FELL

TRIBUTE BY MEMBERS OF BENCH AND BAR. There was a large gathering of members of the legal profession in the Court of Appeal yesterday morning', when Mr. A. \V. Blair, as president of the Lav Society, mado reference to the' loss sustained by the Bar m the untimely death of lieutenant Gerald Fell Mr. Blair said that the. late Lieutenant Fell was born about 35. years ago. After a brilliant career at Nelson College, he attended lectures at the Victoria University College, and served for some time in the office of Messrs. Bell, Gully, Bell and Myers. He then commenced practice as a barrister and solicitor. He soon showed that he was endowed with the best qualifications of a. lawyer. His career at the Bar, though it extended over' little more than t'ho short space or eight years, quickly brought him into considerable prominence. It was recognised that he Vas one of the leading junior counsel, and that he might well be expected to attain to tho highest honours in the profession. Shortly after war was declared he' enlisted and entered camp as a non-commissioned officer. He was ultimately appointed second lieutenant, . and left New' Zealand .for the front in October, 1915. He served ■ first in Egypt and then in France, and after being on active service for about nineteen months he was killed in action on June 8 last. The late .lieutenant was well known as an athlete', and he frequently served as a member of the Council of the New Zealand Law Society. It is fitting that members of the Bar, who knew his brilliant attainments, should record their loss and their deep sympathy with the relatives of the deceased. Tho Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, said that the legal profession m Jvew Zealand was tho one which, next to the medical. 1 had furnished the number of men for the front.. The. law • yers who had gorio had been quite numerous, and it was to regretted that several of them had been killed. The late , Lieutenant Fell had been Penally known to him as a man of high character and rare ability. There had been a great fatuTe before him m his profession. His relatives would have the consolation that he died nobly, inspired by a senso of dntv-not fighting for anything for himself, but for what he felt to 'be tru« and glorious Those present wished to convey to the. relatives their sympathy and the hope that they might be able to sustain the loss.well. His oressed his regret and that ot his woE on the Bench at Lieutenant Fell s death He hoped that the example would inspire all the members of the profession wfth a feeling that they were not workeven as lawyers, for themselves. Xm but were doing to build u,p the nation and to. make it free an great. -