SIR Basil Scott

M.A.(Oxon.), Bar-at-Law.

Sir Basil Scott, M.A.(Oxon.), Bar-at-Law.: Sir Basil Scott succeeded Sir Lawrence Jenkins as Chief Justice in 1908.His Lordship was then the Advocate-General. His Lordship held office from 1908 till 1919. Sir Basil Scott was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, he came out as a barrister to practice in the Bombay High Court, in 1884, where his uncle, Basil Lang, was already leading in practice. Scott soon acquired a large practice; and after acting as Advocate-General on more occasions than one, became permanent Advocate-General about 1903, on the retirement of Lang. His Lordship acted for some months as Puisne Judge in 1906; and in 1908 on the retirement of Sir Lawrence Jenkins, Mr. Scott was appointed as the Chief Justice. As a Judge, he was earnest and fair-minded. His Lordship's judgments were generally short, lucid and to the point. But he had the misfortune to see a number of his decisions reversed by the Privy Council. Although he had to some extent the prevailing prejudices of the Anglo-Indians of his time, he was not narrow in his outlook. His Lordship showed his fair-mindedness and judicial impartiality on many memorable occasions.