VETERAN MAGISTRATE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20372, 28 September 1929, Page 11

VETERAN MAGISTRATE.

EVE OF RETIREMENT. NOTABLE LONDON FIGURE. (Received September 27. 5.45 p.m.) British Wireless. RUGB\. Sept. 26. A notable figure of London life is about to pass into retirement in the person of Mr. Frederick Mead, magistrate at Marlborough Street Police Court. He has intimated to the Home Office his intention of vacating his magistracy this week, and to-morrow will sit at tho Court for the last time.

Mr. Mead is 82 years of age and the oldest occupant of any chair of justice in this country. He was called to the Bar 60 years ago, and 40 years have passed since he became magistrate at the Marlborough Street Court. In that long period thousands of offenders of every tvpo and every nationality have come before him for judgment. The Molborotigb Street, magistrate has to deal with crime in a part of the West End of London which has a notably cosmopolitan population. Air. Mead always has been distinguished for his remarkable physical and mental alertness in dealing with tho difficult cases which have arisen among this kind of population. Although in the course of his long tenure of ollice many of his judgments have been criticised on the ground of their severity ho will always be remembered as one of" London's most, able magistrates.