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Taranaki Daily News, 29 April 1930, Page 9

“From the memoirs of Sergeant Ballantine it is amusing to learn 'that nineteenth century society dearly loved to treat the Court as a theatre or morning levee,” said Mr. C. H. Westen, in the course of an address to the Law Conference at Auckland. “ ‘On one occasion, 5 he writes, ‘the dour Mt. Justice Blackburn had taken his scat and composed himself for the performance of his duties, when a lady, having arrived late, had to pass him to get to her party. Now his lordship’s legs being no unimportant part of his body, her flounces became seriously entangled in her attempted passage, and for the moment the judge was lost sight of by the audience in front, whilst Uie lady presented the appearance of sitting upon his knee. The judge’s voice was heard in no musical tones, and when relieved from the embarrassment he declared in emphatic language ‘that he never had been in such a position before,’ and this,’ says Sergeant Ballantine, ‘I am disposed to believe/ . i