MR JUSTICE COOPER.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4300, 8 March 1901, Page 3

MR JUSTICE COOPER.

ciusgrat dxs from tii k RAP. fi>S HONOR'S SPEECH IX PERRY. iiKTc was ;l 1.,,-'.;.' attendance of har-ly.tc-s and solicitors _ (it the Supreme < uill’t. yesterday morning when Mr U'. H. (.illicit, on behalf of tho legal pro-jc.-'.iion in Wellington, tendered cm. gra Muttons to Mr JuMtoo Cooper on hi;; elevation Lo I lie Reach, Over Con harrislm-H end Milicitor.'-; were prcscei. Mr Quick said ; Mr Justice Coopt.-.-Reforc proceeding to the ordinary husl.ncss of iln- day, I wmdd like- to make H lew remarks, it you will permit me. f .ohvo coon a-ked to bo, on I ids occasion.

tiio idoii tbpie< (>i iti v hi-oLhcr-nicinhci «>f tlio lo convey to you, sir, the sincein cnro.valid.il ions on your pre leoinon. to I lie idyll and responsible pi .-.ir.ion w’nr-h you now iiold. Of eonrsr on ccHsioir; of this kind, a appointment to (ho Bench is sure t Oo canvassed. hoOi amongst pi Cm her of Iho hur and amongst tho piddle; bu it nrnv ho a source of yatnfnctio’n t vourscll lo kno V/ that your prom-otioi has been received will, tlio greatest sat ovhictioii by the profession to which Imre the honour to belong. You an now in, a position, sir, of the highes dignity (hat can ho permanently offer cd in the coloyiy to any of our fellow (•iti/ycns It is u. position not only o i.ignity, hub. also of high responsibility '.vuich you will n<) doubt feel in its fullest mens - ,iro. A seat on tlio Bunch .such a-, yum now hold has been honoured by p redeye----ors from the. time of Sir Wd“j lnl Martin, the first Chief Justice of V <tr Zealand, downwards, some of '■■■ nom, liavo been called away by' death, '.Hid others of whom arc still with us. s -vho have been men of the highest integrity and of great capability. They have shed lustre over the Bench on. which yon now occupy a, seat, and wo feel. In appearing before you to-day and congratulating you on the, position to which you have hern appointed, that that lustre will not ho dimmed in your prose nc, I am old-fashioned enough to believe, Mr, that, assistance can come from the bar to (lie Reach.. Of course, there arc amenities ami courtesies to be expected from both sides, and sometimes an amount of dignified forbearance from (lie Bondi. I ijun assure yon, sir, that tlio utmost courtesy and loyalty will ),e

K'vcn to you by every nVnnbcr of tl, I'MC. \veep t th<- ccriyrat u)atJir.uy of Hi mombr'i-s oh (iic h.ir, ycur Honor, j ,\niii’ i'll'-,:i(!nu to tlio position wide y:ov now bold. jUr Justice Cooper replied : Mr (}nio fr ri d gentlemen of 1 ]i(. Wellington bar,— am sincerely gratified at it! :o o:: p re’stems oF_ mid the ooncjmtn!*] which yon hnvo offered to nie thi iuornin<r. It is peculiarly gratifying t nu> to trdco my scut on this Bench'fo tne first time in the Wellington dis fcnet. X have during my* practice rt tin hnr lor r.uuiy roars been accustomed t< uttevid the Court of Append here, am 1 ruvo been hrunglit into contact hen with idnio.st all the members of tlio oro rcssion in Wellington. i. have receivru during tlio time that T have had ncca sum. to visit Wellington the utmost courtesy and kindness from every mem her of the bar and every solicitor prac ’rising in tins Court- with whom I have Inul any intercourse at nil. I quite ap. predate the weighty words which yor linvo ottered. I know that the seal which I now occupy has been occupier by men whom. I can only hope in some distant way to emulate. When I look around (his Court, and I see tho portrait of tho late Mr Juis-tice Richmonri on the one side and that of Sir James .Prendorgast, the. lormer Chief Justice, on tho other side, and when' I know that this seat has been occupied by other men of great ability and sterling integrity, tho position that I have accepted becomes one of groat difficulty indeed to mo. I appreciate what you have said as to the intimate relationship which exists between tho members of tho bar and tho bench. Wo are all engaged in Hie _ ono duty, tho administration of justice. And I know that unless L ha-vo the, cordial co-operation and assistance of the bar, my position hero would indeed be a- very unsatisfactory ono. I would like to quote as rules for my guidance those which were' hud down by Sir Matthew Hale, now nearly three hundred years ago, and which Lord Campbell said wore worthy to lie inscribed in letters of gold in Westminster Hall;—“Things necessary to he continually held'in remembrance —l. That in the administration of justice I am entrusted for God, tne King, and the country, apd, therefore (2) that it ho done (i) upright by (ii) deliberately (iii) resolutely. (3) That I,rest not upon my own strength or understanding, but implore and rest upon tho direction and strength of God. (4) That in tho execution of justice I carefully lay aside my own passions, and do not give way_to them however provoked. (5) That I will be wholly intent upon the business I -am aboi)t, remitting all other cares as unseasonable and interruptions, (d) That I suffer not myself to be prepossessed with any judgment at all till the whole business and both parties be heard. | (7) That I never engage myself in tho beginning of a. cause, but reserve myself unprejudiced till the whole bo heard. (8) That in business capital, though, my nature prompt mo to pity, yet to consider there is also a pity duo to the country. (9) If in criminals it ho a. measuring cast, to incline to mercy ana acquittal. (10) That I be not biassed with compassion to tho poor, or favour to tho rich, in point of justice. (11) Not to be solicitous what men will say or think, so long as I keep myself exactly according to the,rules of justice.” I could not in anything like so proper terms express what 1 think is tlio duty of a Judge presiding: in this Court. 1 can only say, coming as Ido so recently from the ■bar, that I know the difficulties that gout)omen practising in this Courts labour under. 1 know tho anxieties and tho ('rouble, and tho sudden occasions which very often arise which are mot sometimes only with extreme difficulty. I know the forbearance-which is necessary from, the bench to the bar, and I understand tho courtesy which is essontial also frern the bar to the bench. I have no doubt a hat-over that during the time that I may be permitted to occupy tho position that 1 have now been appointed to, tho relationships .whichwore commenced so happily by me with tho ‘Wellington bar will be continued. J fee! that 1 have the inestimable privilege of being associated here with two of uiy oldest, friends, their Honors the Chief Justice and Mr Justice Edwards. My position, therefore, is much more than if I had• had assigned to mo a separate district, because I i' know that in matters in which I require .7 assistance and cous'nltation, that assist unco and ’ consultation will ho readily given by Sir Robert-Stout and Mr Justice Edwards, with whom I am aasoi, dated in this .district. ■! should like ’• to -ay that I left the Auckland bar with a unanimous fooling of goodwill towards mo on the part of every practitioner in Auckland. I am proud to say that after my long residence in. that city I have not left one gentleman at tho bar dr in the profession behind mo who has an unpleasant recollection of our associations together. I can Say the same of my associations, limited though they have boon, with the bar and the profession generally in Wellington. And I

jtrust that when the times conies that jl have to leave the position v. inch I have- now to occupy. I shall leave it (with the full goodwill and good wishes of (hose ho have been practising before me. I know, gentlemen. Unit I eannol, administer justice here in the fullest extent lo t lie satisfaction of the community without divine assistance. 1 therefore humbly pniv *he Divine Judge of Iho whole earth tint lie will answer my prayer and emdde me, without fear, favour r r affection, < o d; ,| uprightly between all partic- n;'l all chv, ; ,eY’vvho may come before me-. G.-ntiemcn. 1 thank yon s:uecrcly for your eougratu. bilious.