Langer Owen

Sir Langer Meade Loftus Owen (27 August 1862 – 25 January 1935) was an Australian lawyer and judge.

Life

Caricature by David Low

Owen was a son of Sir William Owen, Senior Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

He was educated at New School, Darlinghurst, Charterhouse School, England, and New College, Oxford.^[1] He was appointed KC in February 1906.

During the war years (1914–1918), he was an untiring worker for the Red Cross and was awarded a CBE in 1918 for his service.^[2]

He was appointed to the Supreme Court Bench in 1922, and presided over many important divorce suits, notably the Field case, which lasted 89 days, with costs amounting to around £40,000; many millions in today's currency.^[3]

He retired in June 1932, and then served as chairman of the Australian Performing Rights Association. He was appointed Knight Bachelor in 1934.^[4]

Sir Langer Owen was noted for his unfailing courtesy, and was a stickler for public morality; he acted as president of the Bribery and Secret Commissions Prevention League.^[5]

Death

He died after a prolonged illness, aged 72, on 25 January 1935). His remains were cremated.^{[citation needed]}

Family

Owen married Mary Louisa Dames Longworth on 5 September 1888. She and her friend Katherine Rose Egan were founder members of the NSW Red Cross Division.^[6] Mary died around 1916. Sir William Francis Langer Owen, KBE, QC (1899–1972) was a son.

Owen married again on 25 August 1925, to Hilda Margaret Chapman, a daughter of Sir Frederick Chapman of Wellington, New Zealand^[5] and granddaughter of Henry Samuel Chapman.^[7]