OBITUARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14001, 6 September 1907, Page 5

OBITUARY.

MR T. I. JOYNT, K,C, (Per United Press Association.) OHRISTG'HUROH, September 5. The death of Mr T. I; Joynt, senior King's Counsel in' New Zealand, is announced. The deceased was horn in ■, 1830, and made himself famous by his brilliant though unsuccessful defence in tho case of Thomas Hall. No defended cases were heard at the civil sittings of tlio Magistrate's Court this morning, as a mark of; respect to tho late Mr T. I. Joynt,'K.C.' Shortly after tho commencement of the business Mr H, W. Bishop (tho presiding magistrate) drew.. r the jvttontion of the court to the news of Mr ,'loynt's death. Ho said that in referring to tlio death of Mr Joynt ho was touching a personal (natter to them all. Ho had been on terms of tho closest intimacy with Mr. Joynt during the past 15 yeare, and "they alt know of his ability. It seemed only a few days ago that they, had all gathered in the Supreme Court to honour' him when ho was invested with the dignitaries of King's Counsel and became tho senior ' member of tho New Zealand Bar. I-lis voice had been raised in learned argument within tho Magistrate's Court, and. it was sad to think that ho was no more. He 'had always held a higlPposition in, tho profession, and as a mark of respect he had decided alter tlio eases had boon called to adjourn tho sitting,' placing tho fact on the records of the ! court. It was the only means of honouring the departed counsel. ' >

Mr W. Hoban (the senior member of the present), 011 behalf of the legal profession, made reference to Mr Joynt, and said that ho had looked on him as one of the most brilliant members of tho Bar in New Zealand. -As a young man ho had frequently been greatly assisted by Mr Joynt, and there was ho doubt that tho deceased would be missed by the profession throughout the colony. Personally—and 110 was sufo that tho entire New Zealand Bar would agree with, him—llo had looked on Mr Joynt as an ornament to tho profession in the colony, and ono of the truest gentlemen, ,

(From Otro Owu Correspondest.) CHIUSTCHUROH, September 5. The death of Mr Thomas Ingham Joynt, K. 0., which took place to-day. breaks a link that oonnectcd tho early legal history of Canterbury with that of to-day. Mr Joynt wa6 born in G'alway in 1830, and served as a youth ih a lawyer's office in Dublin, -where ho first became acquainted with the late Justice Gresson, by whom ho was snbsequently admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. With his young wife and child Mr Joynt' left for Lyttciton in July, 1656, by tho barque Mariner, and had a most eventful passage. The ship was nearly wrecked and ran short of provisions and water, only a wineglass and a-half haing available even when in the tropics. Fever also broke out, and there were several deaths. ' Tho course of tho ship was shaped for Hobart, tho ■nearest port, in order to obtain vegetables, water, and provisions. Wellington was reached in November, and the Canterbury passengers arrived' in Lylteiton on Ist December, 1856. Mr Joynt first started in Canterbury as clerk to the Bench in Lyttelton. Subsequently ho removed to Christchurch, ami took a position as clerk to Mr (afterwards Mr Justice) Gresson. Ho was then articled to Mr T. ,9. Duncan, tho Crown Prosccutor, After serving his articles for five years, Mr Joynt was duly admitted as a barrister and solicitor, and commenced practice 011 his own account in 1863. ' He remained in active practice up to about a fortnight ago, a period of 44- ycare, and in June of this year 110 was appointed the senior King's Counsel, in New Zealand, being the senior member of the Bar in this colony. During the long period Mr Joynt was at the Bar hero he was. concerncd in numbers of the celebrated cases of Canterbury, both criminal and civil. Tho caso that brought him first into prominence as a criminal lawyer was his successful defence of Mrs Palerson and Mies Williams on a charge of arson in connection with a fire in ft restaurant kept by them in Cashel street. In later years tho most celebrated caso in which 110 was. concerned. was the Hall case at Timaru, in which he appeared for the accused. As a picador Mr Joynt was incisive and eloquent, and was very fond of introducing scriptural quotations into his argument. It was, perhaps, in addressing juries that Mr Joynt excelled. He marshalled his facts with much eogoncy and-point and was usually vory successful ill convincing those to whom his arguments wore addressed. Mr Joynt possessed all tho ready wit of his country, and was a widely read man and a brilliant conversationalist.

Mr Joynt -was for some j-ears member for Kaiapoi in the Canterbury Provincial Council, and afterwards liahj office as Provincial Solicitor under tho Rollraton Administration. Mr Joynt retained this position till 1875, when the provinces were abolished. Ho later contested l the scat for Ohristchureli South against Mr John Holmes, and was defeated. It is said that ho was almost without an equal in New Zealand in drafting difficult and complicated legal documents clearly and concisely.