Henry Garrioch
Encyclopedia
Sir William Henry Garrioch (4 May 1916 – 18 February 2008) was the Acting Governor General of the Commonwealth realm
of Mauritius
from 31 October 1977 until 23 March 1978.
in 1936 and was subsequently appointed to First Grade Clerk in 1946, when he was picked to be a judge's Secretary. He became the Secretary of Justice Georges Espitalier-Noël who was able to persuade Chief Justice, Sir Francis Herchenroder, that Garrioch should be encouraged to embrace a legal career.
Garrioch took the advice and won the Colonial Scholarship enabling him to complete his studies in law in the United Kingdom. He was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn
and to the Mauritian Bar in 1952.
On his return to Mauritius, Garrioch was immediately appointed to the post of Crown Counsel, at a time in the 1950s when it was the Chief Justice who advised the Governor on the appointment of Law Officers and District Magistrates, and the established practice at the time was that members of the Bar who were to join the public service had to first be appointed as a District Magistrate; only those thought to be of the highest caliber were then transferred to the Attorney-General's Office.
He moved up in the office to become Director of Public Prosecutions
, which at the time was higher in the legal hierarchy than Solicitor-General. Garrioch was made a Judge of the Supreme Court in 1967.
When Sir Raman Osman retired as Governor General of Mauritius, Garrioch was appointed acting Governor General. Despite the prestige attached to this post, he returned to the Supreme Court where he served as Chief Justice.
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
of Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
from 31 October 1977 until 23 March 1978.
Legal career
Garrioch joined the Colonial ServiceColonial 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 1936 and was subsequently appointed to First Grade Clerk in 1946, when he was picked to be a judge's Secretary. He became the Secretary of Justice Georges Espitalier-Noël who was able to persuade Chief Justice, Sir Francis Herchenroder, that Garrioch should be encouraged to embrace a legal career.
Garrioch took the advice and won the Colonial Scholarship enabling him to complete his studies in law in the United Kingdom. He was called to the Bar at 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...
and to the Mauritian Bar in 1952.
On his return to Mauritius, Garrioch was immediately appointed to the post of Crown Counsel, at a time in the 1950s when it was the Chief Justice who advised the Governor on the appointment of Law Officers and District Magistrates, and the established practice at the time was that members of the Bar who were to join the public service had to first be appointed as a District Magistrate; only those thought to be of the highest caliber were then transferred to the Attorney-General's Office.
He moved up in the office to become Director of Public Prosecutions
Director of Public Prosecutions
The Director of Public Prosecutions is the officer charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world...
, which at the time was higher in the legal hierarchy than Solicitor-General. Garrioch was made a Judge of the Supreme Court in 1967.
Mauritian constitution and role in independence
In 1963, when the Colonial Secretary dispatched his Chief Legal Adviser, Anthony Rushford Q.Cin order to finalize the draft of what was to become the Mauritian constitution of 1964 (which was to be the basis for their Independence Constitution of 1967), Rushford asked Mauritius to provide the services of its best legislative draftsman to be his counterpart. The Mauritian authorities selected Garrioch who spent several weeks at Le Réduit to finalize the draft before it went to Her Majesty in Council.When Sir Raman Osman retired as Governor General of Mauritius, Garrioch was appointed acting Governor General. Despite the prestige attached to this post, he returned to the Supreme Court where he served as Chief Justice.