Charles Cooper (judge)
Encyclopedia
Sir Charles Cooper was a politician and the first Chief Justice
of South Australia
.
Cooper was born in Henley-on-Thames
, the third son of Thomas Cooper, under-sheriff of Oxfordshire. Charle entered the Inner Temple
in 1822 and was called to the bar in February 1827. He practised on the Oxford circuit until 1838, and was then appointed judge at Adelaide
. He landed there in March 1839 in the Katherine Stewart Forbes, and was for many years the sole judge, then senior judge, and in June 1856 was appointed the first South Australian chief justice. In September 1860 he was sworn in as a member of the Executive Council.
Cooper retired from the bench in November 1861 and from the Executive Council in August 1862 owing to ill-health and was given a pension of £1000 a year. He returned to England in 1862, resided at Bath, Somerset, and improving much in his health lived to be 92 years of age. He died at London
on 24 May 1887. He married in 1853 Emily Grace, daughter of C. B. Newenham of South Australia. He was knighted in 1857. Cooper's Creek, (now Cooper Creek
), in central Australia
was named after him by his friend, Captain Sturt
. Cooper was a thoroughly capable judge who earned the esteem of the colonists. He held courts at first in his own house, which had the advantage that he was constantly on the premises. He was a sound lawyer and framed the first insolvency legislation of the colony. Though not robust looking, he was hospitable and interested in the social and intellectual life of the colony.
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
Cooper was born in Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
, the third son of Thomas Cooper, under-sheriff of Oxfordshire. Charle entered the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, 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...
in 1822 and was called to the bar in February 1827. He practised on the Oxford circuit until 1838, and was then appointed judge at Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. He landed there in March 1839 in the Katherine Stewart Forbes, and was for many years the sole judge, then senior judge, and in June 1856 was appointed the first South Australian chief justice. In September 1860 he was sworn in as a member of the Executive Council.
Cooper retired from the bench in November 1861 and from the Executive Council in August 1862 owing to ill-health and was given a pension of £1000 a year. He returned to England in 1862, resided at Bath, Somerset, and improving much in his health lived to be 92 years of age. He died at London
London
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...
on 24 May 1887. He married in 1853 Emily Grace, daughter of C. B. Newenham of South Australia. He was knighted in 1857. Cooper's Creek, (now Cooper Creek
Cooper Creek
Cooper Creek is one of the most famous and yet least visited rivers in Australia. It is sometimes known as the Barcoo River from one of its tributaries and is one of three major Queensland river systems that flow into the Lake Eyre Basin...
), in central Australia
Central Australia
Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. The term Central Australia is used to describe an area centred on Alice Springs in Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Centralia; likewise the people of the area are sometimes called Centralians...
was named after him by his friend, Captain Sturt
Charles Sturt
Captain Charles Napier Sturt was an English explorer of Australia, and part of the European Exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from both Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers,...
. Cooper was a thoroughly capable judge who earned the esteem of the colonists. He held courts at first in his own house, which had the advantage that he was constantly on the premises. He was a sound lawyer and framed the first insolvency legislation of the colony. Though not robust looking, he was hospitable and interested in the social and intellectual life of the colony.