38:
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did—in favour of the plaintiff. To his horror Gorell Barnes then rose and said he had failed to deal with a very important point. Not having the least idea what the point was, he pulled himself together and said: 'Oh, yes; I meant to say that having considered that I think the adjusters took the right view, and in that respect also I think the claim as made out by them ought to succeed'.
463:, however, cautiously welcomed the appointment, noting his professional experience, knowledge of business, and high character, though it also commented that "probably Mr. Lawrance does affect to be a great lawyer". It also noted that his appointment, "on personal grounds... will be very acceptable to every member of the profession."
627:, another former Conservative MP elevated by Halsbury, who was subsequently the subject of a motion of censure in the House of Commons for his perceived partiality toward the Conservative candidate, but Lawrance's conduct was not questioned. In 1903, he presided over the second trial of William Gardiner for the
720:
commented that although this "has not seriously reduced the judicial store of erudition, it has deprived the King's Bench
Division of one of its most attractive personalities." Lawrance was nicknamed "Long Lawrance", both in reference to his height (he was said to be the tallest judge on the bench)
710:
In the conduct of a trial with a jury he was usually patient and reasonable, and as a
Criminal Judge he appears to have had no prepossession either towards undue severity or a flabby leniency. In this respect he was a satisfactory Judge, but he was hardly equal to a sustained course of reasoning or
514:
The judge knew as much about the principles of general average as a Hindoo about figure-skating. He listened with a semblance of interest to Cohen and Gorell Barnes, reserved judgment, and forgot all about the case. After a long delay he was somehow reminded that he ought to give judgment. This he
715:
Lawrance was personally well-liked: he was said to possess "an unostentatious sense of humour and a commendable gift of reticence". Another otherwise critical account credited him with "prudence and self-restraint, and is irreproachable in word and act, and is, in fact, liked and admired for many
728:
Heuston wrote that
Lawrance was "as undistinguished on the Bench as had been at the Bar", but that although he was not a clever man, "before the Great War, the English did not always want clever men in public positions. They often preferred an honest gentleman."
688:. Ridley had much better brains than Lawrance, but he had a perverse instinct for unfairness that Lawrance could never approach. It is perhaps not without significance that Lawrance and Ridley both failed to get admission to the modern Valhalla, the
455:
wrote that "This is a bad appointment, for although a popular man and a thorough
English gentleman, Mr. Lawrance has no reputation as a lawyer, and has been rarely seen of recent years in the Royal Courts of Justice".
711:
to the interpretation of intricate Acts of
Parliament. In case involving these he was generally content simply to express his concurrence with a senior colleague, or in revenue cases to decide in favour of the Crown.
315:, Lawrance acquired a degree of notoriety for his incompetence as a judge, at least in commercial cases. His conduct of one commercial action was said to be so inept that it was credited with the creation of the
482:
contribution from cargo-owners. The case was tried without a jury by
Lawrance J over 22 days in May 1891, who then reserved judgment. It was argued by some of the leading figures of the commercial bar:
502:
Scrutton described
Lawrance was "a very popular Judge—who had practised in a purely agricultural county, and whose elevation was not wholly unconnected with his devoted services to his party".
1383:
684:
Mr. Justice J. C. Lawrance was a stupid man, a very ill-equipped lawyer, and a bad judge. He was not the worst judge I have appeared before: that distinction I would assign to
702:
both praised him for his common sense, while Ernest Bowen-Rowlands KC said that on circuit he was "a good judge and in crime one of the best judges I have practiced before".
1428:
439:, who had a reputation for choosing judges on party political grounds, especially from the ranks of "unsuccessful Tory M.P.s with large majorities and no incomes".
351:
of
Lincoln's Inn in 1879. He was not well known in London and mainly practiced on the Midland Circuit; he also practiced as a revising barrister. He was appointed
319:, earning him the moniker "the Only Begetter of the Commercial Court". He was, however, said to be a good criminal judge and was personally well-liked.
550:
According to
Scrutton and MacKinnon, Lawrance's performance in this case incensed the mercantile community so much that it led to the creation of the
1296:
383:
293:
134:
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in 1895, thus making him "the Only
Begetter of the Commercial Court". This account has been largely accepted by modern commentators such as
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52:
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Lawrance continued to sit in the King's Bench Division, eventually becoming the most senior judge in the
559:
748:
Veeder, V. V. (April 1994). "Mr Justice Lawrance: the "true begetter" of the English Commercial Court".
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600:(1903), Lowrance having sent Nevill down for fraud in 1898 with a strong reprimand and five years in
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631:: as with the first trial, the jury was unable to come to a verdict, and the prosecution entered a
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and the typesetter Klement Wierzbicki for publishing a pamphlet which called for the murder of
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However, Lawrance had his defenders, especially from the criminal bar. Frederic Holman and
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In November 1911, Lawrence fell ill, and resigned on 15 April 1912. He was sworn of the
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539:) restored the judgment for the plaintiffs, though they did not rely on his reasoning.
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In 1861, Lawrance married Charlotte Georgina Smart, daughter of Major Smart of
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856:(2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 238, 423.
877:
849:
774:
MacKinnon, Frank Douglas (October 1944). "The Origin of the Commercial Court".
633:
555:
542:
523:, which reversed Lawrance on questions of law and fact. On further appeal, the
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664:; he married in 1898 Millicent Emma Rachel Fane, daughter of W. D. Fane, of
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884:(2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 343.
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Lawrance was the only son of Thomas Munton Lawrance of Dunsby Hall,
1258:
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said Lawrance was unfit for the lowest judicial appointment. The
348:
582:. The same year, he was one of the judges called upon by the
972:
The English Judges: Their Role in the Changing Constitution
963:
471:
The case for which Lawrance achieved lasting notoriety was
288:(30 May 1832 – 5 December 1912) was an English judge and
676:
Assessments of Lawrance as a judge tend to be negative.
611:
In 1906, he was one of the two judges appointed to hear
1384:
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
442:
The appointment was greeted with "hoots of derision".
1091:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 101.
1264:
contributions in Parliament by John Compton Lawrance
300:from 1885 until 1890, when he was appointed to the
1429:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
1145:Nevill, Lord William Beauchamp (28 January 1903).
644:on 19 July, and died on 5 December 1912, aged 80.
322:
1002:
1000:
803:Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench
42:"Long Lawrance", caricature in Vanity Fair, 1897.
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882:British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918
854:British Parliamentary Wlection Results 1832–1885
435:on 30 June 1890. Lawrance had been nominated by
997:
574:. In 1898, he tried the Russian revolutionary
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1178:
870:
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1227:"The Resignation of Mr. Justice Lawrence".
1107:The Commercial Court of England & Wales
592:. Lowrance was strongly criticised in Lord
467:"The Only Begetter of the Commercial Court"
362:In 1878, Lawrance stood unsuccessfully for
1175:
478:(1891), which involved a complex issue of
311:'s political appointments to the bench as
36:
773:
386:. That constituency was abolished by the
65:24 February 1890 – 15 April 1912
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1128:"VLADIMIR BOURTZEFF, KLEMENT WIERZBICKI"
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957:Lives of the Lord Chancellors, 1885–1940
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16:English judge and politician (1832–1912)
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292:politician. He was Conservative MP for
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959:. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 36.
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1103:"The Origins of the Commercial Court"
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13:
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586:to provide an advisory opinion in
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924:. 25 February 1890. p. 1044.
904:. 7 September 1886. p. 4330.
814:
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1273:Parliament of the United Kingdom
1037:Scrutton, Thomas Edward (1921).
800:Mair, Robert Henry, ed. (1886).
691:Dictionary of National Biography
388:Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
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716:qualities." On his retirement,
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519:The defendants appealed to the
499:) appeared for the defendants.
491:) appeared for the plaintiffs;
323:Background and political career
257:
1089:The Life of Thomas E. Scrutton
974:. Hart Publishing. p. 95.
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838:. 6 December 1912. p. 11.
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304:, where he served until 1912.
174:Sir William Welby-Gregory, Bt.
151:Sir William Welby-Gregory, Bt.
1:
1419:Queen's Bench Division judges
1194:. 19 July 1912. p. 5291.
1132:Old Bailey Proceedings Online
944:. 15 July 1890. p. 3923.
832:"Sir John Compton Lawrance".
732:
1149:. London: William Heinemann.
721:and to distinguish him from
617:that year's general election
394:Lawrance was elected MP for
7:
1414:20th-century King's Counsel
1409:19th-century King's Counsel
985:"The Law and the Lawyers".
506:, who was later Scrutton's
355:of Derby in 1879 and was a
10:
1455:
955:Heuston, R. F. V. (1964).
431:, receiving the customary
423:in 1890, in succession to
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427:. He was assigned to the
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1404:Members of Lincoln's Inn
1213:: 524. 20 December 1930.
970:Stevens, Robert (2002).
662:Court of Criminal Appeal
619:. At the hearing of the
594:William Beauchamp Nevill
156:Hon. Murray Finch-Hatton
1323:Constituency abolished
1165:The Scottish Law Review
1332:Marston Clarke Buszard
1171:(258): 181. June 1906.
1087:Foxton, David (2013).
713:
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678:Lord Justice MacKinnon
629:murder of Rose Harsent
623:petition, he sat with
547:
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489:Thomas Edward Scrutton
186:Constituency abolished
111:Marston Clarke Buszard
1235:: 209. 30 March 1912.
1163:"Notes from London".
1044:Cambridge Law Journal
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700:Sir Travers Humphreys
682:
572:King's Bench Division
545:
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429:King's Bench Division
398:. He was appointed a
392:1885 general election
376:1880 general election
331:and his wife Louisa,
205:John Compton Lawrance
149:Serving with
1339:Member of Parliament
1293:Member of Parliament
1026:: 135. 1 March 1890.
993:: 305. 1 March 1890.
777:Law Quarterly Review
751:Law Quarterly Review
380:Member of Parliament
370:at a by-election in
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83:Member of Parliament
26:The Right Honourable
1317:Murray Finch-Hatton
625:Mr Justice Grantham
504:Sir Frank MacKinnon
475:Bank of Australasia
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941:The London Gazette
921:The London Gazette
901:The London Gazette
686:Mr. Justice Ridley
613:election petitions
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343:in 1859, became a
294:South Lincolnshire
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1023:
1017:
1011:
990:
986:
980:
971:
965:
956:
950:
939:
930:
919:
910:
899:
890:
881:
872:
853:
844:
833:
802:
781:
775:
749:
727:
717:
714:
709:
703:
697:
689:
683:
675:
666:Fulbeck Hall
658:Lincolnshire
651:
639:
632:
610:
597:
587:
569:
549:
518:
513:
501:
472:
470:
457:
450:
443:
441:
418:
404:Lincolnshire
372:Peterborough
368:Conservative
361:
332:
329:Lincolnshire
326:
306:
281:
280:
236:Conservative
225:(1912-12-05)
185:
181:Succeeded by
142:
118:Succeeded by
95:
60:
18:
1379:1912 deaths
1374:1832 births
1262:1803–2005:
1186:"No. 28628"
1051:(1): 6–20.
936:"No. 26070"
916:"No. 26026"
896:"No. 25623"
680:wrote that:
672:Assessments
580:Nicholas II
566:Later years
537:Lord Morris
533:Lord Watson
460:Law Journal
415:Appointment
215:30 May 1832
165:Preceded by
158:(1884–1885)
153:(1880–1884)
106:Preceded by
71:Preceded by
1368:Categories
1356:Henry Cust
806:. London:
754:: 292–306.
733:References
495:(with him
487:(with him
446:Daily News
433:knighthood
364:Parliament
302:High Court
211:1832-05-30
123:Henry Cust
1314:1880–1884
1065:145274792
880:(1989) .
852:(1989) .
835:The Times
704:The Times
621:Maidstone
606:Parkhurst
596:'s book,
452:Law Times
406:in 1886.
382:(MP) for
147:1880–1885
143:In office
100:1885–1890
96:In office
61:In office
1343:Stamford
396:Stamford
353:Recorder
298:Stamford
268:Children
88:Stamford
1259:Hansard
1134:. 1898.
473:Rose v
349:bencher
307:One of
262:
254:
250:
1350:–1890
1309:With:
1112:14 May
1077:AC 687
1063:
860:
654:Boston
648:Family
535:, and
242:Spouse
1061:S2CID
508:pupil
366:as a
256:(
252:
1348:1885
1341:for
1306:1885
1302:1880
1295:for
1114:2021
858:ISBN
604:and
558:and
531:LC,
458:The
444:The
220:Died
201:Born
133:for
86:for
1211:170
1053:doi
402:of
339:at
333:née
1370::
1233:47
1231:.
1219:^
1209:.
1188:.
1177:^
1169:22
1167:.
1155:^
1130:.
1105:.
1059:.
1047:.
1041:.
1024:25
1022:.
999:^
991:88
989:.
938:.
918:.
898:.
816:^
790:^
782:60
780:.
760:^
740:^
725:.
694:."
668:.
656:,
637:.
608:.
357:JP
286:PC
284:,
258:m.
1304:–
1116:.
1067:.
1055::
1049:1
866:.
527:(
271:1
213:)
209:(
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