SIR ROBERT STOUT

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 50, 27 August 1930, Page 15

SIR ROBERT STOUT

LONDON TRIBUTES

(from "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, "25th, July.

Tributes to Sir, Biriod- Mitter, who died suddenly in' London on Sunday, ami to Sir Robert Stout, were paid 'at tho meeting of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, of ivhiclr both were, ai3(iinguished"ffienib'(?l's-r ;

Sir Binod was ono of the first- members of tho Bar appointed as. a member of the Judicial Committee without proviously holding 'office as a Judge. He camb straight from tlie Calcutta Bar to assist tho Privy Council with his special knowledge of tho laws of India. .

■The Judges from all three divisions of tho committee assembled specially, They \ver© Viscount Dunedin, ■ Lords Blanesburgh, Atkin, "Tomlin, Thanke'rton, Bussoll of KilloTven, and Maeinillan, Chief Justice Anglin of Canada, Sir John. "Wallis, Sir Lancelot Sanderson, and Sir George Lowndes.

Viscount Dunedin said that those who had sat with Sir Binod had had no difficujty in recognising how amply he had justified tho choice that fell upon Mm. ."To consummate -knowledge of the various system of law in India which govern th« relations-of the different, classes of His Majesty's subjects, he joined a: patient .and studied judgment. He was of invaluable assistance to us, not only in deciding the particular case before us, but in bringing to our knowledge the exact state of existing decisions. Had he been spared to iis, I have.no doubt that lie would have left his mark in that steady development of decided.Jaw which is tho great aim. of a Supreme Tribunal to effectuate. In his personal relations it was impossible not to be attracted by the quiet friendliness with which he approached his new colleagues in life. I trust that tho profession in India will take note of these words, and will, understand how truly we have appreci: ated Ms characterandshairrevere his memory. _ . ■ -:■:-''..-' ■■" • "I ought also to add one word, with regard to another loss> which the newspapers show that we have sustained in the person of the late Chief justice Stout, of New Zealand. He was not associated with us in tho close relations that others have been, but he has left behind him a great reputation as a.lawyer;-and.we felt that it.was a compliment to'ourselves that .he was made a member of our Tribunal." , "The Times," ,i,n its , colutan-long. obituary, comments:— . . ".:,'■■ .; ; ".On th&.Bench, 'Sir-V Robert/Stout failed, to win the same/eminence that tip Jiad achieved at thel Bar. His strong common-sense, dislike of technicalities, quickness,- industry, .and :■ courtesy equipped him admirably for the discharge of tlie : great bulk of. judicial business in Chambers, and at nisi prius, Biit his quickness had its disadvantages in that it sometimes disposed him. to take a strong view of a case at the outset. It was said of him when in Parliament that he would draw you a Bill on,any subject under the sun .before broakfast. This remarkable faculty had its inevitable drawbacks. Though few men could see more at a glance, Stout. seemed to profit loss than most men-of equal ability by prolonged deliberation, and a less nimble wit was sometime)! able by-patent effort to get nearer to the heart of a subject. The result was that his most conspicuous success was as a Judge of first instance, and that- in the more abstract, regions of the law less brilliant colleagues moved with surer step."