Gerard Lewis Howe

Sir Gerard Lewis Howe, QC (3 June 1899 – 25 May 1955) was a British lawyer and judge. He was Chief Justice of Hong Kong in the early 1950s.

Sir Gerard Howe
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong
In office 1950–1955
Preceded by	Sir Leslie Gibson
Succeeded by	Sir Michael Hogan
Personal details
Education	The Royal School, Armagh Trinity College, Dublin

Early life

Howe was born on 3 June 1899. He was the son of Gerard Augustus Howe of Dublin and Nina, daughter of Henry Beasley, Monkstown, Dublin. He was educated at The Royal School, Armagh and Trinity College, Dublin. He served in the military during World War I and was mentioned in despatches. He qualified as a barrister at law at King's Inns in 1923. He married Margaret, daughter of Francis Maguire JP in 1927.^[1]

Legal appointments

Sir Gerard Howe on his appointment to HK

Howe joined the Colonial Legal Service and was appointed resident magistrate in Kenya in 1930. He then served as Crown counsel in the Gold Coast (1934–1937) and Straits Settlements (1937–1941).^[2]

He was appointed Solicitor General in Nigeria in 1941 and then promoted to Attorney General in 1946. He was appointed a King's Counsel in 1946.^[3] He was knighted in 1949 whilst attorney general of Nigeria.^[4]

In 1950, he was appointed Chief Justice of Hong Kong replacing Sir Leslie Bertram Gibson.

Death

Howe fell ill in the summer of 1953 and in April 1954 returned to his home in Bullough Castle, Dublin.^[5]

Howe died while still in office on 25 May 1955 in London.^[6]

On his death, the full court convened on 28 May 1955 to pay tribute to him. A two-minute silence was also observed by Chief Magistrate Lo Hin Shing.^[7]