Alastair Forbes
Encyclopedia
Sir Alastair Forbes, served with the Colonial Legal Service
and ended his career as President of the Courts of Appeal for St Helena, the Falkland Islands and British Antarctic Territories from 1965 until 1988.
in Tiverton and read Law at Clare College, Cambridge
. After being called to the Bar
by Gray's Inn
, he joined the Colonial Legal Service
in 1932.
in the British West Indies
in 1936 as a magistrate
and government officer, where much of his time was spent compiling an index of the island's laws (his assistant for many years was the barrister (later Dame) Eugenia Charles
, who subsequently co-founded the centrist Dominica Freedom Party
and in 1980 became the Caribbean's first female prime minister).
After a period as a Crown attorney in the Leeward Islands
in 1939, Forbes moved in 1940 to Fiji
, where he served progressively as resident magistrate, crown counsel, solicitor general and assistant legal adviser to the Western Pacific High Commission
. In the latter capacity he revised and redrafted all the laws of Fiji, for which he was offered (and turned down) a knighthood.
His next tour, beginning in 1947, was to Malaya
as a legal draftsman, and in 1950 he was appointed Solicitor General of Northern Rhodesia
. The following year he became Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General in Gold Coast
(later to be come Ghana
).
In 1956, he was appointed a puisne judge in Kenya
, and the next year he was promoted a Justice of Appeal at the Court of Appeal for Eastern Africa. He became Vice President of the Eastern African Court of Appeal in 1958, and from 1963 until 1964 served as Federal Justice of the Federal Supreme Court of Rhodesia
and Nyasaland
.
He was President of the Court of Appeal for the Seychelles
from 1965 until 1976, and for Gibraltar
from 1970 until 1983.
He served as a member of the panel of chairmen of industrial tribunals from 1965 until 1973, and was President of the Pensions Appeals Tribunals
for England and Wales from 1973 until 1980.
He married Irene Mary Armstrong in 1936 and was knighted in 1960.
Colonial Service
The Colonial Service was the British government service which administered Britain's colonies and protectorates, under the authority of the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Colonial Office in London....
and ended his career as President of the Courts of Appeal for St Helena, the Falkland Islands and British Antarctic Territories from 1965 until 1988.
Early life
Forbes was born in St Kitts, where his father farmed, and was educated at Blundell's SchoolBlundell's School
Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school located in the town of Tiverton in the county of Devon, England. The school was founded in 1604 by the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the time, and relocated to its present location on the...
in Tiverton and read Law at Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
. After being called to the Bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
by Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
, he joined the Colonial Legal Service
Colonial Service
The Colonial Service was the British government service which administered Britain's colonies and protectorates, under the authority of the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Colonial Office in London....
in 1932.
Career
Forbes’ first overseas posting was to DominicaDominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
in the British West Indies
British West Indies
The British West Indies was a term used to describe the islands in and around the Caribbean that were part of the British Empire The term was sometimes used to include British Honduras and British Guiana, even though these territories are not geographically part of the Caribbean...
in 1936 as a magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
and government officer, where much of his time was spent compiling an index of the island's laws (his assistant for many years was the barrister (later Dame) Eugenia Charles
Eugenia Charles
Dame Mary Eugenia Charles, DBE was Prime Minister of Dominica from 21 July 1980 until 14 June 1995. She was Dominica's first, and to date only, female prime minister, as well as the nation's longest serving prime minister...
, who subsequently co-founded the centrist Dominica Freedom Party
Dominica Freedom Party
The Dominica Freedom Party is a conservative political party in Dominica.The party lost all of its seats in the House of Assembly at 2005 general election, held on 5 May 2005. This was the first time since 1975 that the DFP was not elected in any seats...
and in 1980 became the Caribbean's first female prime minister).
After a period as a Crown attorney in the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
in 1939, Forbes moved in 1940 to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, where he served progressively as resident magistrate, crown counsel, solicitor general and assistant legal adviser to the Western Pacific High Commission
British Western Pacific Territories
The British Western Pacific Territories was the name of a colonial entity, created in 1877, for the administration, under a single representative of the British Crown, styled High Commissioner, of a series of relatively minor Pacific islands in and around Oceania...
. In the latter capacity he revised and redrafted all the laws of Fiji, for which he was offered (and turned down) a knighthood.
His next tour, beginning in 1947, was to Malaya
Malayan Union
The Malayan Union was a federation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government so as to simplify administration. The Malayan Union later became the independent...
as a legal draftsman, and in 1950 he was appointed Solicitor General of Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia was a territory in south central Africa, formed in 1911. It became independent in 1964 as Zambia.It was initially administered under charter by the British South Africa Company and formed by it in 1911 by amalgamating North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia...
. The following year he became Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General in Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
(later to be come Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
).
In 1956, he was appointed a puisne judge in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, and the next year he was promoted a Justice of Appeal at the Court of Appeal for Eastern Africa. He became Vice President of the Eastern African Court of Appeal in 1958, and from 1963 until 1964 served as Federal Justice of the Federal Supreme Court of Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
and Nyasaland
Nyasaland
Nyasaland or the Nyasaland Protectorate, was a British protectorate located in Africa, which was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Since 1964, it has been known as Malawi....
.
He was President of the Court of Appeal for the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
from 1965 until 1976, and for Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
from 1970 until 1983.
He served as a member of the panel of chairmen of industrial tribunals from 1965 until 1973, and was President of the Pensions Appeals Tribunals
Pensions appeal tribunal
The Pensions Appeal Tribunal was a judicial tribunal in the United Kingdom which had jurisdiction to hear and decide appeals against decisions of the Secretary of State in connection with applications for war pensions by former members of the military services....
for England and Wales from 1973 until 1980.
He married Irene Mary Armstrong in 1936 and was knighted in 1960.
Sources
- Extracted from the obituary of Sir Alastair Forbes, The Daily Telegraph, 11 August 2001