NEW CHIEF JUSTICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20243, 1 May 1929, Page 14

NEW CHIEF JUSTICE.

ME. MYERS OP WELLINGTON

NOTED KING'S COUNSEL.;

BRILLIANT CAREER AT BAR.

MANY IMPORTANT CASES.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Tueßday.

The Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, announced to-day that at a meeting of the Executive Council this morning the appointment was approved of Mr. Michael Myers, K.C., of Wellington, as Chief Justico of New Zealand in succession to the late Sir Charles Skerrett, who died at sea on February 13 while on a voyage to England on the steamer Port Denison. Mr. Myers is unreservedly regarded as the foremost lawyer in the Dominion. His career from the time ho first went to school until to-day has been marked by successive stages of brilliant success and advancement. A clear brain, dynamic energy, force of character, readiness of resource,' frankness and incisiveness are qualities which Mr. Myers possesses in a remarkable degree and which have contributed to his success at the Bar.

Mr. Myers was born at Motueka on September 7, 1873, being a son of tho late Mr. Judah Myers, founder of the firm of Messrs. J- Myers and Company. Ltd., and came to Wellington in 1879. He was educated at Thorndon School and Wellington College, which was subsequently affiliated to Canterbury University College. Fine Record at College.

It was at Thorndon School that Mr.Myers first distinguished himself, for in 1885 at the age of 12 he won a primary Education Board scholarship. At that timo there were only six of such scholarships awarded and Thorndon fcchool won the whole six. From 1886 until 1891 Mr. Myers was at Wellington College and in 1887 he won a further primary Education Board scholarship. Ho also won various college exhibitions and scholarships, including the Turnbull scholarship. In 1892 Mr. Myers joined the staff of the legal firm of Messrs. Bell, Gully and Izard. In 1896 he graduated LL.B. and in March, 1897, was admitted by the late Sir James Prendergast, the then Chief Justice, as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court. In August, 1899, Mr. Myers joined the firm of Messrs. Bell, Gully and Bell, Mr. Izard having retired in 1897, and the name of the firm was altered to Messrs. Bell, Gully, Bell and Myers. In 1919 the firm was reconstituted by the addition of Mr. 11. F. O'Leary and the name was changed to that of Messrs. Bell, Gully, Myers and O'Leary. Mr. Myers remained as a member of the firm until September, 1922. when he became a King's counsel. Important Cases Recalled. Since October, 1922, Mr. Myers has been practising on his own account as a barrister only; he being the first and only member of the profession to take silk and practise as a barrister only. Immediately after his admission to the Bar in 1897 he gained a substantial practice, both as barrister and solicitor, and for many, years until 1910 he took a large proportion of Crown cases, both criminal and civil. Among the most important criminal cases in which he appeared were the prosecutions on- murder charges of Philpott in 1898, in which ho appeared as junior counsel, with Mr. F. H. D. (now Sir Francis) Bell, and of Ellis, in which ho appeared alone. Enjoying the confidence of the commercial community in a markod degree there have been but few important civil cases in the last twenty years in which Mr. Myers has not appeared. In the wellremembered "sugar" case in 1912 and 1913 he acted in conjunction with the lato Sir Charles Skerrett and in the "flour" case concerning Distributors, Limited, in 1924, ho also appeared, again in association with Sir Charles Skerx-ett, in the Supreme Court at D.unediin, and later in the Courfc of Appeal. Parliamentary Petitions.

In 1921 Mr. Myers, appearing with Messrs. McVeagh and Johnstone, of Auckland, successfully defended the directors of the Dominion Portland Cement Company, Limited, in a claim against them by the liquidators for about £200,000 damages. Mr. Myers has also had the honour of conducting cases before the Privy Council, for, in 1911, he successfully appeared for the respondent in the case of Allarclyce v. Allardyce, and in 1926 he appeared in six cases, including the "flour" case, in all of which he was successful. In addition to commercial cases Mr. Myers has enjoyed a considerable amount of Parliamentary practice. He appeared for Mr. Hine in connection with the charges made by him in the House of Representatives m 1910, the late Sir Charles Skerrett being on the other side. The hearing of these charges occupied something like 35 sittings. He has also as counsel in various election petitions. ' He appeared for the petitioner in the Stratford election petition, Hine v. Masters, in 1920, and the petitioner was successful. Mr. Masters, however, was returned at thf» new election.

In the Western Maori election petition in 1923 Mr Myers and Mr. H. P. O'Leary successfully appeared for the respondent, Sir Maui Pomare. In Royal Commissions also Mr. Myers has taken a prominent part, having conducted many cases. Arbitration Proceedings. One of the last civil cases in which Mr. Myers took part and which lasted for 18' days was the arbitration caso to scttlo the value of the undertaking of tho liawera Electric-Light Company for tho purposes of a proposed purchase by the South Taranaki Electric-Power Board. Mr. Myers acted for tho board at the hearing. For many years Mr. Myers has been a member of the Wellington District Law Society, boing twice vice-president and twico president. Ho is also a member of tho council of the Now Zealand Law Society. For ono year ho represented Wellington and ever since the elevation of tho late Sir Charles Skerrett to tho Bench as Chief' Justice he has represented Gisborno, which previously for many years Sir Charles Skerrett represented. Mr. Myers has been a member fcr several years of tho council of law reporting, representing tho Wellington District Law Society. He was also the foundation president of the New Zealand Club. On the day ho entered into the partnership of Messrs. Bell, Gully, Bell and Myers, August 2, 1899, Mr Myers married Miss S'aloni, daughter of tho late Hon. Maurico Salom. M.L.C., of Adelaide, South Australia. Mr. Myers has boon pressed on various occasions to enter political life, but ho has always declined.