Background
Born in Bury, Lancashire the son of Giles Hewart, he was educated at Bury Grammar School, Manchester Grammar School and University College, Oxford.
chief justice judge politician
Born in Bury, Lancashire the son of Giles Hewart, he was educated at Bury Grammar School, Manchester Grammar School and University College, Oxford.
University College; Manchester Grammar School.
He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1918, Attorney General from 10 January 1919 to 6 March 1922. He entered the cabinet in 1921, and was Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 8 March 1922 to 12 October 1940. He was given a peerage as Baron Hewart in 1922 to allow him to sit in the House of Lords as Lord Chief Justice.
Upon his retirement he was created Viscount Hewart.
In 1929 Hewart published The New Despotism, in which he asserted that the rule of law in Britain was being undermined by the executive at the expense of the legislature and the courts. This book was very controversial and led to the appointment of a Committee on Ministers" Powers—chaired by the Earl of Donoughmore—but its Report rejected Hewart"s arguments.
He has been described as "one of the most vigorous and vociferous believers in the impeccability of the English jury system of this or any other century" However, in 1931, Hewart made legal history, when (sitting with Mr Justice Branson and Mr Justice Hawke) he quashed the conviction for murder of William Herbert Wallace, on the grounds that the conviction was not supported by the weight of the evidence. In other words – the jury was wrong.
Lord Hewart was the originator (paraphrased from the original) of the aphorism "Not only must Justice be done.
lieutenant must also be seen to be done."
He died 5 May 1943 in Totteridge, Barnet, Hertfordshire aged 73. Lord Hewart married twice. First in 1892 Sarah Wood Riley, daughter of J. H. Riley and secondly in 1934, Jean Stewart, the daughter of J. R. Stewart.
30th United Kingdom Parliament. 31st United Kingdom Parliament]
He was a Liberal Member of Parliament for Leicester from 1913, and, after constituency division in 1918, Leicester East.