Sir Mackenzie Dalzell Edwin Stewart Chalmers (7 February 1847 – 22 December 1927) was a British judge and civil servant. He was

Parliamentary Counsel to the Treasury The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) is responsible for drafting all government Bills that are introduced to Parliament. Established in 1869, the OPC has been part of various departments and is currently part of the Cabinet Office. Led b ...

, a judge of the

county court A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions (subnational entities) within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of ''county courts'' held by the high ...

s and a Law Member of the Viceroy's Council in India. Chalmers also served as

Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office The Permanent Under-Secretary of State of the Home Office is the permanent secretary of the Home Office, the most senior civil servant in the department, charged with running its affairs on a day-to-day basis. Home Office Permanent Secretaries ...

from 1903 to 1908. His mother was Matilda, the daughter of Rev. William Marsh. He was educated at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

, and

Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...

. Chalmers is best remembered today as the draftsman of the

Bills of Exchange Act 1882 The Bills of Exchange Act 1882 is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament concerning bills of exchange. The Act was drafted by Sir Mackenzie Chalmers, who later drafted the Sale of Goods Act 1893 and the Marine Insurance Act 1906. Bills of exchange ...

, and in 1888 of the

Sale of Goods Act 1893 The Sale of Goods Act 1893 (56 & 57 Vict. c.71) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland which regulated contracts in which goods are sold and bought. Its purpose was to define the rights and duties of the ...

. The original Bill was settled by Lord Herschell who introduced it into the House of Lords in 1889, with a view to obtaining criticism of its provisions. The Bill was referred to a Select committee consisting of Lord Herschell, the

Earl of Halsbury Earl of Halsbury, in the County of Devon, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Halsbury is a historic manor in the parish of Parkham, near Bideford, Devon, long the seat of the Giffard family and sold by them in the 18th. centu ...

Baron Bramwell Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...

and Lord Watson. The 1893 Act was repealed and re-enacted as the

Sale of Goods Act 1979 The Sale of Goods Act 1979c 54 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which regulated English contract law and UK commercial law in respect of goods that are sold and bought. The Act consolidated the original Sale of Goods Act 1893 ...

. Sir Mackenzie is also known for drafting the

Marine Insurance Act 1906 The Marine Insurance Act 1906 (8 Edw. 7 c.41) is a UK Act of Parliament regulating marine insurance. The Act applies both to "ship & cargo" marine insurance, and to P&I cover. The Act was drafted by Sir Mackenzie Dalzell Chalmers, who had earlie ...

, which is still in force. He was appointed as

Chief Justice of Gibraltar The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Gibraltar is one of the four judges who make up the supreme court of Gibraltar. Previously the Chief Justice was appointed by the Governor of Gibraltar on the advice of the British Foreign and Commonwealt ...

in 1894.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chalmers, Mackenzie Dalzell 1847 births 1927 deaths Alumni of King's College London Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford Permanent Under-Secretaries of State for the Home Department Civil servants in HM Treasury Members of HM Government Legal Service 20th-century English judges Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Order of the Star of India County Court judges (England and Wales)