SIR Michael Roberts Westropp

Knight, Bar-at-Law. 1863-1870

Sir Michael Westropp, Bar-at-Law : Sir Michael Westropp succeeded Sir Richard Couch in 1870. He was a practicing Counsel in the Supreme Court and the High Court before he was raised to the Bench. He was Chief Justice till 1882. He is noted for some extremely lengthy and learned judgments, notably the judgments in Nawroji v. Rogers and Lopes v. Lopes, in which he made a very careful research into the early history of Bombay. J.D. Inverarity in his Reminiscences observes, that Westropp was at times so dilatory in giving judgment, that it created consternation amongst practitioners and litigants. Anstey made this a ground in one of his memos of appeal to the Privy Council, alleging that the Judge took so long to deliver the judgment, that all the facts were forgotten. But, on the whole, Westropp made an upright, independent and erudite Judge.