The sun., 1916-12-31
An Irish Chief Justice.

II is the record Of the successful
and prosperous legal career Of a man
who was always unconcerned about
what his political opponents thought
Of him that We have in The Reminds
cences Of the Right Hon. Lord
O'Brten. edited by his daughter. the
Hon. GEoRoINA O'BRrEN Edward Ar
mold: Longmans. Green & Coz. The
jaunty. good humored tone Of the
memories of schooldays and sports
arouses regret that the taking down
OF the notes was put of till the
last days. when the narrator was worn
out and thought chiefly of his judicial
career. He shared In a way, how
ever. in some noted Irish cases whose
interest extends far beyond the legal
profession.
Peter OBrien was a genuine Irish
man. an excellent example Of a type
that many OF his countrymen abomi-
nate. BY birth. connections. educa-
ton and taste he belonged to the
Court party and was opposed TO
every Irish nationalist movement. so
that when Mr.. Gladstone came out
for home rule he turned Unionist.
Having chosen the law for his pro-
fession. his natural ability pushed
him forward. but the way was
smoothed for him at every step. In
the trial Of cases and as Crown prose-
cutor he showed such a knack for Sc
Letting juries that would at least con-
slider the evidence in favor OF a con-
vlction that he acquired the nick
name OF Peter the Packer" a nick
name OF which he felt rather proud.
He was passed rapidly through the
minor official appointments. served
short terms as Solicitor and Attorney
General. when. as he had to enforce
the crimes and coercion acts, he was
the worst abused man in Ireland, and
In 1883 was appointed Lord Chief JUS
tice OF Ireland. a post that he retained
for nearly twenty-five years. lie was
first made a baronet and in 1906 was
raised to the peerage as Lord O'Brien
of Kilfenora.
The friends he recalls in these remi-
niscences, besides many lights OF the
Irish bench and bar, include Irish
men who have attained distinction
in diplomacy, in the army and in
other ways in the service OF Great
Britain. Many bits OF legal expo
riences show his shrewdness as "A
lawyer and his sanity as a Judge.
He prided himself especially on his
Judgment In the Usher annulmcnt
OF marriage case. which by his di-
rection TO his daughter IL printed
here in fun. In this. though a
Catholic and though Pope Leo KILLS
Tenerr decree had appeared. he
decided that a marriage between
Catholics that complied with the laws
Of the United Kingdom was valid,
even II In some unimportant respect
1t did not fulhi all the requirements
Imposed by the Catholic Church. The
decision Is a remarkable example Of
lucid, logical reasoning.
1t II the Irish political trials, how
ever, that will chiefly interest the
general reader. and the facts in sew
eral Of these, now not 40 easily ac-
cessible. are given in full. He helped
TO prosecute In the trial OF the
Joyces. an aRrarian murder In which
a whole family OF other Joyces was
massacred on suspicion Of having
given information, Nerdicts were
secured against them. as was usual
IN Ireland. through informers among
themselves. In the trial Of the In
vinciblcs for the Phoenix Park muir
ders O'Bricn took a minor part In
me prosscutien end another Justice