Sir Richard Temple Rennie (1839 – 14 April 1905) was a British
barrister
A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...
and
judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
who served in China and Japan. He was the Chief Justice of the
British Supreme Court for China and Japan from 1881 to 1891. He was judge of the
British Court for Japan
The British Court for Japan (formally Her Britannic Majesty's Court for Japan) was a court established in Yokohama in 1879 to try cases against British subjects in Japan, under the principles of extraterritoriality. The court also heard appeals ...
from its creation in 1879 to 1881.
Early life
Rennie was the fourth son of
George Rennie who had been a member of parliament and a sculptor. His great uncle was
John Rennie, a famous Scots engineer who, amongst other things, designed the new
London Bridge
Several bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. It r ...
.
Rennie was called to the bar of the
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...
in 1860, having qualified by immediately commencing a pupilage after leaving school. He and practiced on the Western Circuit before moving to Hong Kong, where his brother,
William Hepburn Rennie William Hepburn Rennie CMG (1829 – 1874) was a British official who served in Hong Kong and St. Vincent.
Rennie was the son of the sculptor George Rennie who was a Liberal Member of Parliament and a Governor of the Falkland Islands. William's ...
, was serving as Auditor-General. He then moved to Shanghai to practice before the
British Supreme Court for China and Japan.
Judicial career
Rennie was appointed Judge of the
British Court for Japan
The British Court for Japan (formally Her Britannic Majesty's Court for Japan) was a court established in Yokohama in 1879 to try cases against British subjects in Japan, under the principles of extraterritoriality. The court also heard appeals ...
in
Yokohama
is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...
on the creation of that court in 1879 and served until 1881, when he was appointed Chief Justice of the
British Supreme Court for China and Japan in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
, replacing
George French who had died that year. Rennie was knighted on 30 November 1882.
Rennie was succeeded as both Judge for Japan and Chief Justice in Shanghai by Sir
Nicholas Hannen.
Retirement
Rennie retired in 1891. Rennie's successor as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was
Nicholas John Hannen
Sir Nicholas John Hannen (24 August 1842 – 27 April 1900) was a British barrister, diplomat and judge who served in China and Japan. He was the Chief Justice of the British Supreme Court for China and Japan from 1891 to 1900 and also served ...
, then judge of the
British Court for Japan
The British Court for Japan (formally Her Britannic Majesty's Court for Japan) was a court established in Yokohama in 1879 to try cases against British subjects in Japan, under the principles of extraterritoriality. The court also heard appeals ...
who had also succeeded Rennie in that position. In 1895, he stood as a candidate for County Council in the Kensington Division.
In 1896, Rennie was appointed by a special
Order in Council
An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' Ki ...
Acting Judge of the British Supreme Consular Court in Constantinople to hear two cases. The first related to alleged improper conduct by the Vice-Consul, Mr Phillip Sarell, in obtaining a loan from the Constantinople Building Society. The second was a civil claim brought by Henry Silley, the former chief clerk of the Supreme Consular Court, against Sarell, Charles Tarring, the Judge of the Supreme Consular Court.
Death
Rennie, who at the time lived at 115 Piccadilly in London, died in at
Sidmouth
Sidmouth () is a town on the English Channel in Devon, South West England, southeast of Exeter. With a population of 12,569 in 2011, it is a tourist resort and a gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. A large part of the town has ...
, Devon on 14 April 1905.
[''London Gazette'', 30 June 1905, p. 4577]
Further reading
* , Vol. 1: ; Vol. 2: ; Vol. 3:
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rennie, Richard
1839 births
1905 deaths
19th-century English judges
British extraterritorial judges
British Supreme Court for China judges