Permanent Land Chosen For Christchurch’s Law System – 1864

As early as February 1851, just two months after the arrival of the Canterbury Association’s first ships, Canterbury’s Founder, John Robert Godley, swore in Christchurch’s first Magistrates. One of those was Edward Ward, who wrote in his journal about the times he took his place on ‘…the bench…’ to help solve our settler’s earliest legal …

Canterbury’s First Murder Trial – 7th September 1863

On the 7th September 1863, George Lumley was found guilty of the manslaughter of Cornelius O’Connor at the Christchurch Supreme Court. He was sentenced to 3 years hard labour. As his charge had been dropped from murder to manslaughter, he escaped a death sentence. On the evening of the 10th July 1862, Lumley and O’Connor …

The First Sitting Of The Supreme Court – 6th November 1852

On the 6th November 1852, the first sitting of the Canterbury Supreme Court took place at the Lyttelton Immigration Barracks, in the same room used by the future Christ’s College. George Johnston was charged with breaking and entering into a merchant warehouse owned by David Laurie. He was accused of stealing a pair of blankets, …