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Appenl from the Hivpranu'. Court id Htdifnx, Norn Scotia, to the Suprernr Court of Cnnadn. In the matter of the application of Joseph N. Ritchie for the recogniriop of hi- '.auk and precedence as Queen's Counsel. CASE ON BEHALF OF THE APPELLANTS. This Appeal is taken from the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia of the 26th March, 1877, making a Rule Nisi absolute, and granting rank and precedence to Joseph N. Ritchie over all Queen's Counsel appointed in and for the Province of Nova Scotia since the 26th — day of December, 1872, and setting aside letters patent, dated the 27th day of May, 1876, regu- 10 lating the precedence of certain Queen's Counsel, including the Appellants, under the provisions of Section 2, of Chapter 21, of the Acts of 1874, of the Province of Nova Scotia, entitled, *' An Act to Regulate the Precedence of the Bar of Nova Scotia." The Rule Nisi sets forth more particularly the grounds on which the application was made, but the decision of the Court was in substance as follows : — 1. That the Letters Patent of precedence, issued by the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, were not issued under the Great Seal of that Province. / 2. That 37 Vic. Chs. 20 and 21 of the Acts of Nova Scotia were not ultra vires. ^ 3. That it was not the intention of Sec. 2 of Chapter 24 of the Acts of Nova Scotia for 1874, that it should be retrospecti\\i in its effect. 20 I 4. That as an intention on the part of the Legislature that the Acts in question should |ve a retrospective effect is by no means clear, the Lt-tters Patent of the 27th May, A. D., 1876, mot affect the precedence of Mr. Ritchie. The judgment of the Court was delivered bySir William Young, C. J., and concurred in by ! DesBarres and McDonald, J. J., Mr. Justice Wilkins dissenting from the decision of the Court as to the Great Seal, and Mr. Justice James as to the Great Seal, and the question of precedence J^ d$ (yt*^ LC\S TIIK UKASOXS FOR Tills AIM'KAI- AKK; 4 d$ «• 1. Because, as the (Jieat Seal imports absolute verity, the Court where any docuineuf purports to be sealed with the Great Seal, should give absolute faith to it as having been duly seal- ed by the authority of the Sovereign. < . ■ * ' : > 2. Because the Court cannot inquire into the custody pnd history of the Great Seal, and thorelations between the Sovereign and the ICeepor of the Great Seal in this Province. The Letters Patent of the 27th of May, 1876, having come direct from the Keeper of the Great Seal in this Province, with the Great Seal of the Province attached, and authenticated by the signa- ture of the Lieutenant Governor and the Provincial Secretary, the Judges should recognize the same, and '.ake judicial notice of its validity. • 3. Because, as the alleged new Great Seal of Nova Scotia never was adopted or used as such by the Government of that Province, the old Great Seal never having ceased to be used and recognised as the Great Seal of the Province, remained the legal seal thereof. 4. Because, if any question existed as to the validity of the Great Seal attached to the Letters Patent of 27 May, 1876, it has been set at rest by legislation respecting the same. 2 Inst 555, 6. 0. b. Bro. Ab. tit. patetits. Hales P. C. 171-7. 2Comm.c.21. 17 Vin. Ah. 71-8. Lord Melville's Case 29 How St. T. 707. Sir Geo. McKenzie's Works, 1. 278. Baron Maseres Canadian Freeholder IL 238-2 IS. Campbell's Lives of the Lord Chancellors and Keepers of the Great Seal, introd. also notes to vol. II. ch. 44. 40 Vict. c. 3, Acts of Canada. 40 Vict. ch. 2, Acts of Nova Scotia. 5. Because the validity of letters patent from the Crown cannot be summarily adjudi- cated upon by the Court. , 6. Because, though the Crown \fras not represented at the argument, or made a party to the proceedings, the rule granted by the Court limits the prerogative of the Crown of regulating precedence at the Bar, as respects Queen's Counsel appointed since the Ist day of July, A. D., 1867. ' ' ■ ■'■■■ . t, ^ ■ . ."■ 10 20 7. Because the rule absolute was granted upon affidavits which were irregular and should not have been received by the Court. 8. Because the rule granted on the affidavit of John S. D. Thompson, dated the 7th March 1876, allowing either party to produce affidavits verifying copies of any documents touch- ing the Great Seal, that might be produced by the Local Government and laid before the Local Legislature previous to the 9th of March, was irregular, and should not have been granted by the Court. 30 u r «v f\, 8 'V 4 Iiist. 88. ]]r. Ah. fit. ^ire Facias, (59. ISf). Dver 1}>8. U. vh. Earl of Dorset, S. C. Kaymond 10(5, 177. 2 Vent. .'M4. 2 T. R. Odt. n Viti". Ab. VZ2, 155. Chitty Prerog. '.;44! 3.11. I. Steven.', v'onim, ()f29. Ran.some vs. Eastern Counties llailwuy (.'omp. (} Jur. N. S. 0*»8, 0. V. ^ 9 necause the Crown has the right of, from time to time, rognhiting precedence among Q icon's Counsel. 10. Because the Crown, as the Fountain of Justice, and of Honours, can at its pleasure, ("ither expicssly or impliedly cancel or supersede Letters Patent creating Queen's (.'ounsel, or reg- ulating precedence at the Bar. James' R. (Nova Scotia) 182. 4 Inst. 165, 3(53. 1 Comm. 271, 353, 396. 3 Comm. 27, 29. Chitty Prerog. 77,82, 107, 112, 132, 331. In re Hcdard 7 Moore. P. C. C. 23. Man- 10 ning's Case of the Sergeants, 127. Droit I'ublique de Domat. Liv. i. tit. ii. sec. 2 p. 10 also No. 3. pp. 67, 78, (Fol. Ed 1745.) tv 11. Because Mr. Ritchie's appointment as Queen's Counsel is referred to in the Letters Patent of precedence in question. 12. Because as the office of Queen's ("ounsel in Nova Scotia is one of honour and prece- dence, to which no fees or emoluments are attached, the appointment of xMr. Ritchie as Queen's Counsel did not thenceforward debar th(3 Crown from issuing letters patent granting precedence over him to members of the Bar not otherwise entitled to priority. 13. Because as the right of the Lieutenant Governor to exercise the prerogative of appoint- ing (iueen's Counsel, and of regulating precedence at the Bar, enjoyed by him up to 1867, was 20 confirmed and recognized by the British North AmeHca Act, 1867, and was also clearly declared and affirmed by 37 Vict , Chs. 20 and 21 of Acts of Nova Scotia, it cannot be taken away or limited by the Court. 14. Beciuse the appointment of Mr. Ritchie as Queen's Counsel on the 27th day of December, 1872, did not thenceforward debar the Legislature from empowering the Lieu- tenant Governor to regulate the precedence of the Queen's Counsel appointed since 1867 and of other members of the Bar to whom letters patent of precedence might be issued, nor did it render Sec. 2 of 37 Vict., Ch. 21 nugatory and inoperative as respects Mr. Ritchie's precedence as Queen's Counsel. 15. Because the intentic n of the Legislature in 37 Vict. ch. 21 of the Acts of Nova Scotia that members of the Bar appointed Queen's Counsel after the 1st day of July, A. D., 1867 as well as members of the Bar to whom from time to time patents of precedence are granted, " shall severally have such precedence as may be assigned to them by Letters Patent which may be issued under the Great Seal of the Province," is clear and positive. • • 30 St J. i \ i S07 16. Rccause as thu (/ourt held tiiut the intt-rition of Sec 2 of ('h 521, an reapcots the Uueen'8 Counsel appointed Hinn 1867, is by no meanH clear, the prerogative of the Crown of re- guhiting precedence at the Har, which can only be tnken away by clear and explicit terniN, still continued, subject only to the provision that it Bhould be exercised by means of Letters Patent under the Great Seal. fJarl ol' Cumberland's case, H Rep. 169. Hro. Ab. tit. patents, pi. a. Hex vs. Chester, et ah, 5 Mod. 301. Rox. vs. Kempt, 4 Mod. 277. Rex. vs. Foster, Freem. K. 70. Fowler vs. (Jhatterton 3 M & P. 628. Freeman et al vs. Moyes, 1 Ad. & E. 338. re Barham, 8 B. & C. p. 104. Potters Dwarris on Stat. p. 78. Chitty on Prerog. 383. P. H. LENOIR. R. G. HALIBURTON. ■