Gerard Lewis Howe

Sir Gerard Howe, Chief Justice of Hong Kong

Sir Gerard Howe KC (1899-1955) was a British lawyer and judge. He was Chief Justice of Hong Kong in the early 1950s.

Early life

Howe was born on 3 June 1899. He was the son of Gerard Augustus Howe of Dublin and Nina daughter of Henry Beasley, Monkstown, Dublin.[1]

He was educated at The Royal School, Armagh and Trinity College, Dublin.

He served in the military during World War I and was mentioned in despatches.

He qualified as a barrister at law at King's Inn in 1923.

He married Margaret, daughter of Franicis Maguire JP in 1927.


Howe joined the Colonial Legal Service and was appointed resident magistrate in Kenya in 1930. He then served as Crown counsel in the Gold Coast (1934–1937) and Straits Settlements (1937–1941).

He was appointed Solicitor General in Nigeria in 1941 and then promoted to Attorney General in 1946, He was appointed a King's Counsel in 1946.[2] He was knighted in 1949 whilst attorney general of Nigeria.[3]

In 1950, he was appointed Chief Justice of Hong Kong replacing Sir Leslie Bertram Gibson.

Death

Howe fell ill in the summer of 1953 and in April 1954 returned to his home in Bullough Castle, Dublin.[4]

Howe died while still in office on 25 May 1955 in London.[5]

On his death, the Full Court convened on 28 May 1955 to pay tribute to him. A two-minute silence was also observed by Chief Magistrate Hin-Shing Lo.[6]

References

  1. ↑ This and other biographical information, unless otherwise noted, from Howe's Who's Who 1956 entry.
  2. ↑ London Gazette,13 December 1946, p6072
  3. ↑ Supplement to London Gazette, 9 June 1949, p2794
  4. ↑ China Mail 27 May 1955, p1
  5. ↑ The Irish Law Times and Solicitors' Journal, Vol 89
  6. ↑ China Mail 27 May 1955, p1
Legal offices
Preceded by
Sir Leslie B Gibson		 Chief Justice of Hong Kong
1951-1955 		Succeeded by
Sir Michael J Hogan
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