A NEW JUDGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20287, 21 December 1927, Page 10

A NEW JUDGE

MR A. W. BLAIR APPOINTEDA NATIVE OF DUNEDIN. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, December 20. The Minister o£ Justice (Mr F. J. Kolleaton) announced to-day that Mr A. W. Blair, barrister and solicitor, of Wei lington, has been offered, and has accepted, the judgeship vacated by Mr Justice Stringer. Mr Archibald William Blair was horn on October 25, 1875, at Dunedin, his father being Mr William Newsham Blair, M.1.C.E., fate engineer-in-chiei of New Zealand. At the time of Mr Blair’s birth his father was engineer-in chief of what was then known as the Middle Island of New Zealand, and now known as the South Island. In 1884, when the Public Works Department was transferred to Wellington the family came to Wellington, his father then being assistant engi-neer-in-chief to the late Mr Blackett. Mr A. W. Blair was educated at the Terrace School, Wellington, -nd at Wellington College. On the death of his father in 1891 he left school, being then 15 years of age, and became office boy in the fi rm of Messrs W. G. Turnbull and Co. (now Messrs Wright, Stphenson, and Co.). He remained there until 1893 and left to become associate to the late Sir John Denniston. Mr 'Mair was his associate tor approximately five years, and during this period he attended lectures at Canterbury College. Mr Blair was admitted to practice in the year 1899 by Sir Robert Stout, his adfmission being the first judicial act performed by Sir Robert Stout. On his admission the judge presented him with a book containing the following inscription;—‘‘Patrem olim amavi, nunc filium quashi paterna auctoritate r n viam vitae admisi.” /Formerly I loved the fathe., and now, as with the authority of a father, I have admitted the son into his path of life). Mr Blair was for about a year in the office of Mr T. F. Martin, of Wellington, and left to join Mr J. A. Tole, Crown solicitor, of Auckland, remaining with his about tour years, during which time he had a Burly extensive experience in Crown prosecutor s work. He left Mr Tole to join Mr indrew Hanna as managing clerk, and remained with him for about two years. In the year 1905 he returned to Wellington to join the staff of Messrs Skerrett and Wylie as managing clerk. < Shortly after the amalgamation of the firms of Skerrett and Wylie and Chapman and Tripp Mr Blair was made partner, and he has remained with that firm ever since. On the elevation of his partner, Sir Charles Skerrett, to the office of Chief Justice, Mr Blair became head of the firm of Messrs Chapman, Tripp, Blair, Cooke, and Watson. Mr Blair has been a member of the Wellington District Law Society since the vear 1912, holding the office of president on two occasions.