Building a Judiciary for the Empire: The Development of the Colonial Legal Service

Abstract

This chapter explores the development of the Colonial Legal Service and its policies on recruitment, training, appointments and promotion structures, lifestyle in the colonies, dismissal, and retirement. It argues that the Colonial Office’s efforts to build a judiciary for the Empire detached colonial legal officers from the places where they served and helped shape the nature and practice of British colonial justice. This chapter also examines the reputation of colonial judges, offering a nuanced assessment of the barristers who joined the Colonial Legal Service and the variety of factors motivating them to serve on the colonial Bench.