Legal History, Australia, Australian Biography, Francis Forbes, New South Wales, 1824-1837 

Lives of the Australian chief justices 

"Few Chief Justices in Australia have been so reviled and misrepresented as was the very first - Sir Francis Forbes. After distinguished service in Bermuda and Newfoundland, he became Chief Justice of New South Wales in 1824. A man with a commanding grasp of legal and constitutional principle, and a great breadth of colonial experience, he set the new Supreme Court upon a robust foundation while adapting its procedures to local circumstances. Against his will, he was drawn into colonial politics. Ex officio membership of the Executive and Legislative Councils, and his duty of certifying all laws as being not repugnant to the laws of England, created extreme difficulties. He collided with the high-handed military Governor Darling and with vested interests among the colonists. Although his opponents were vituperative, Forbes could not publicly debate them. Their willful distortions of his character, his motives and his actions have endured for nearly two centuries. Dr Bennett's major reassessment reveals the true qualities of one of the greatest judicial lawyers in Australian history." - Voila 

Content:
Introduction. Part I: The Northern Hemisphere. 1. "Solus inter plurimos" -- 2. "A fief of admiralty" -- 3. "Dissipating clouds of error" -- 4. "Detained in London". Part II: The Southern Hemisphere. 5. "Credit for good intentions" -- 6. "Lord Chief Justice Abbott at the horse guards" -- 7. "He would not certify me if required" -- 8. "We entered on a new world" -- 9. "You are Chief Justice of Australia?" -- Conclusion. 

Includes bibliographical references (pages xiv-xv) and index.
Categorized by publisher, then author, subject, then date.