Mr Justice Blair To Retire Soon

Northern Advocate, 27 September 1947, Page 3

Mr Justice Blair To Retire Soon

(Special) AUCKLAND, This Day. Sir Archibald Blair, New Zealand's senior puisne judge, will shortly retire. Last night the Auckland Lav/ Society farewelled him at j dinner. “I am very proud of the fact that I have been a member of the greatest of all professions for nearly 50 years,” said Sir Archibald.

The profession had sprung from the church, and it had not in any way ffom the dignity of the church.

Its practice was based on trust, honour and appreciation of the ethics of the profession)

SENTENCING BEASTLY BUSINESS “I don’t think that during those 50 years I ever consciously did a cruel or a hard thing to anybody,” said Sir Archibald.

“I never spared myself in putting the best that was in me into making my decisions. “I never got used to the beastly busines of having to sentence prisoners.”

Sir Archibald was born in Dunedin in 1875, and left school at the age of 15 to enter a mercantile office. In 1893 he became associated to Mr Justice Denniston and, after studying law at Canterbury University College, was admitted to the Bar in 1899.

His elevation to the Bench in succession to Mr Justice Stringer, was announced in December, 1927. He was made a Knight Bachelor in the 1946 New Year honours.