Thomas à Beckett
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas à Beckett (31 August 1836 – 21 June 1919) was an Australia
n solicitor
and judge
.
, England
. He was the eldest son of his parents and arrived in Australia with his father Thomas Turner à Beckett
(brother of Sir William à Beckett
) in January 1851, arriving in Melbourne on the Andromache.
À Beckett attended a private school in Melbourne but went back to England in 1856 and became a student at Lincoln's Inn
.
In 1866 he was made a puisne judge of the Victorian supreme Court and was frequently required to act as Victoria's Chief Justice.
In 1875 à Beckett married Isabella, the daughter of Sir Archibald Michie, who survived him with two sons and three daughters. A younger brother, Edward à Beckett (1844-1932), was a portrait painter. Examples of his work are at the Supreme Court, Melbourne.
Thomas à Beckett was an active man and continued to play tennis until an advanced age. Like other members of his family he had a keen sense of humour, and many stories are told of him and his sayings, both on and off the bench.
He was very popular with the bar, though counsel did not always appreciate his direct methods, which were aimed at preventing the unnecessary prolonging of cases. Occasionally, he would deliver what he called an "interim judgment" when he considered one party had a hopeless case.
Though good-tempered, obliging and courteous, he could be called a strong judge, and he was never afraid to dissent from his colleagues in the full court. It was found that no judge of the period had his decisions less often upset by the High Court
or the Privy council
, and he ranks as one of the finest equity judges Australia has known.
He was knighted as Knight Bachelor
during 1909.
In 1916 the Victorian bar
presented his portrait by Max Meldrum
to the supreme court library, and the opportunity was taken to express the affection in which à Beckett was held.
Sir Thomas à Beckett died at Melbourne on 21 June 1919.
in 1859 while he was still in England. He returned to Melbourne in 1860 where he established his practice as a solicitor
, specializing in equity. He was lecturer in the law of procedure for several years at the University of Melbourne
from 1874 onwards, and had been leader of the equity bar for some time when he was appointed a supreme court judge in September 1886.
À Beckett served as a judge from 30 September 1886 until 30 June 1917 on the Supreme Court of Victoria
. He retired on 31 July 1917.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
and judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
.
Personal
Thomas à Beckett was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He was the eldest son of his parents and arrived in Australia with his father Thomas Turner à Beckett
Thomas Turner à Beckett
Thomas Turner à Beckett was an Australian lawyer. He was the brother of Sir William à Beckett and Gilbert Abbott à Beckett. His eldest son was Thomas à Beckett was a solicitor....
(brother of Sir William à Beckett
William à Beckett
Sir William à Beckett was a British barrister and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria.-Background:Born in London, he was the eldest son of William à Beckett, also a solicitor...
) in January 1851, arriving in Melbourne on the Andromache.
À Beckett attended a private school in Melbourne but went back to England in 1856 and became a student at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
.
In 1866 he was made a puisne judge of the Victorian supreme Court and was frequently required to act as Victoria's Chief Justice.
In 1875 à Beckett married Isabella, the daughter of Sir Archibald Michie, who survived him with two sons and three daughters. A younger brother, Edward à Beckett (1844-1932), was a portrait painter. Examples of his work are at the Supreme Court, Melbourne.
Thomas à Beckett was an active man and continued to play tennis until an advanced age. Like other members of his family he had a keen sense of humour, and many stories are told of him and his sayings, both on and off the bench.
He was very popular with the bar, though counsel did not always appreciate his direct methods, which were aimed at preventing the unnecessary prolonging of cases. Occasionally, he would deliver what he called an "interim judgment" when he considered one party had a hopeless case.
Though good-tempered, obliging and courteous, he could be called a strong judge, and he was never afraid to dissent from his colleagues in the full court. It was found that no judge of the period had his decisions less often upset by the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
or the Privy council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
, and he ranks as one of the finest equity judges Australia has known.
He was knighted as Knight Bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
during 1909.
In 1916 the Victorian bar
Victorian Bar
The Victorian Bar is the bar association for the Australian State of Victoria. Its members are barristers registered to practice in Victoria. On 19 January 2006, there were 1627 counsel practising as members of the Victorian Bar. Once a barrister has been admitted to practice by the Supreme Court...
presented his portrait by Max Meldrum
Max Meldrum
Duncan Max Meldrum was a Scottish born Australian painter. He is known as the founder of Australian Tonalism, a representational style of painting, as well as his portrait work, for which he won the Archibald Prize in 1939 and 1940.-Early Life and Training:Meldrum was born in Edinburgh, Scotland,...
to the supreme court library, and the opportunity was taken to express the affection in which à Beckett was held.
Sir Thomas à Beckett died at Melbourne on 21 June 1919.
Professional
À Beckett was called to the barCall to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
in 1859 while he was still in England. He returned to Melbourne in 1860 where he established his practice as a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
, specializing in equity. He was lecturer in the law of procedure for several years at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
from 1874 onwards, and had been leader of the equity bar for some time when he was appointed a supreme court judge in September 1886.
À Beckett served as a judge from 30 September 1886 until 30 June 1917 on the Supreme Court of Victoria
Supreme Court of Victoria
The Supreme Court of Victoria is the superior court for the State of Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1852, and is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited jurisdiction within the state...
. He retired on 31 July 1917.
See also
- Judiciary of AustraliaJudiciary of AustraliaThe judiciary in Australia is modelled substantially on the system of courts which existed in England.The large number of courts and tribunals in Australia have different procedural powers and characteristics, different jurisdictional limits, different remedial powers and different cost...
- List of Judges of the Supreme Court of Victoria
- Victorian Bar AssociationVictorian BarThe Victorian Bar is the bar association for the Australian State of Victoria. Its members are barristers registered to practice in Victoria. On 19 January 2006, there were 1627 counsel practising as members of the Victorian Bar. Once a barrister has been admitted to practice by the Supreme Court...