William Norris (judge)

Sir William Norris
7th Chief Justice of Ceylon
In office 27 April 1836 – 1837
Appointed by	Robert Wilmot-Horton
Preceded by	Charles Marshall
Succeeded by	Anthony Oliphant
Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Ceylon
In office 1834 – 27 April 1836
7th Advocate Fiscal of Ceylon
In office 28 February 1829 – 1833
Preceded by	Henry Matthews
Succeeded by	William Ogle Carr
Personal details
Children	Anne Grace Norris

Sir William Norris (died 1859) was the seventh Chief Justice of Ceylon and seventh Advocate Fiscal of Ceylon.

He was born the son of William Norris, who was President of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1824. He studied law at the Middle Temple and was called to the bar in 1827. He moved to India in 1829 to practice there.

He was knighted by letters patent in 1835 and appointed a puisne judge in Ceylon.^[1] He was promoted to Chief Justice of Ceylon on 27 April 1836, succeeding Charles Marshall, holding the post until 1837. He was succeeded by Anthony Oliphant.^[2][3] Norris was appointed despite William Rough having served on the bench since 1831, as acting puisne justice, senior puisne justice and as acting chief justice.^[4]

His son was the author William Edward Norris. His daughter Anne Grace Norris married the future Governor Arthur Havelock.^[4]

References

1. Dod, Charles. The Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage of Great Britain and Ireland. p. 418.
2. "Overview". Judicial Service Commission Secretariat. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
3. John Ferguson (1996) [1887]. Ceylon in the Jubilee Year (Repr. ed.). Asian Educational Services. p. 254. ISBN 978-81-206-0963-1. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
4. Amerasinghe, A. Ranjit B. (1986). The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka : the first 185 years. Ratmalana: Sarvodaya Book Pub. Services. ISBN 955599000X.