John Robert Innes
{{Short description|British judge and colonial administrator (1863-1948)}}
{{Infobox office holder
| name = John Robert Innes
| office = Acting Chief Judicial Commissioner of the Federated Malay States
| predecessor = Sir Thomas de Multon Lee Braddell
| successor = Sir G. Aubrey Goodman
| term_start = 1917
| term_end = 1919
| birth_date = 4 September 1863
| death_date = 1 October 1948 (aged 85)
| nationality = British
| alma_mater = University of Edinburgh
| occupation = Barrister, colonial judge and colonial administrative service officer
| honorific_suffix = CMG
}}
John Robert Innes CMG (4 September 1863 – 1 October 1948) was a British barrister, colonial judge and administrative service officer in British Malaya.
Early life and education
Innes was born on 4 September 1863, the son of James Innes of Banbury. He was educated at University of Edinburgh and University of Brussels and in 1900, was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/trent_0116402055606/mode/1up |title=Who was who, 1941-1950 : a companion to Who's who |date=1967 |publisher=London : A. & C. Black |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-7136-0171-8 |pages=589}}{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoinfareast00hongrich/page/158/mode/1up |title=Who's who in the Far East, 1906-7, June |date=1906 |publisher=Hongkong, China mail |others=University of California Libraries |pages=158}}{{Cite news |date=10 September 1919 |title=Mr J R Innes |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/singfreepressb19190910-1.2.44 |work=The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser |pages=12}}
Career
Innes joined the civil service of the Straits Settlements in 1886 after competitive examination, and served in various administrative and legal posts including, in succession: assistant Indian Immigration Agent, Malacca (1889); District Officer, North Malacca (1890); acting Collector of Land Revenue and Magistrate, Malacca (1892); District Officer, South Malacca (1893); acting Collector of Land Revenue and Officer in Charge of Treasury, also acting Magistrate and Deputy Registrar of Supreme Court, Malacca (1893); acting Collector of Land Revenue, Singapore (1894); acted as Magistrate (1894-95), and as Official Assignee and Registrar of Deeds (1895); acting assistant Colonial Secretary (1895); Collector of Land Revenue, Penang (1897); acting Senior District Officer, Province Wellesley (1898); acting 1st Magistrate, Penang, and acting Inspector of Prisons, Straits Settlements (1898-99).
In 1902, he was appointed Deputy Public Prosecutor, Straits Settlements and then Secretary to the Resident, Perak (1904); Acting Legal Adviser, Federated Malay States, and acted as Attorney General and Public Prosecutor, Straits Settlements (1906). In the following year, he was appointed Judicial Commissioner, Federated Malay States, and in 1915, was Judge of the Supreme Court, Straits Settlements. After serving as Acting Chief Judicial Commissioner in 1913, and again from 1917 to 1919, he retired in 1919.{{Cite news |date=2 March 1922 |title=Federated Malay States |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/singfreepresswk19220302-1.2.52 |work=The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser |pages=137}}{{Cite news |date=15 June 1917 |title=F.M.S. Service. Mr. J. R. Innes Appointed Chief Judicial Commissioner. |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitsbudget19170615-1.2.31 |work=The Straits Budget |pages=14}}
Personal life and death
Innes married Edith Offin. Their daughter Olive Mary married Sir Andrew Caldecott.{{Cite book |last=Lee |first=Sidney |url=https://archive.org/stream/dictionaryofnati19511960lees/dictionaryofnati19511960lees_djvu.txt |title=The dictionary of national biography : founded in 1882 by George Smith |last2=Nicholls |first2=C. S. (Christine Stephanie) |last3=Stephen |first3=Leslie |date=1901 |publisher=London Oxford University Press |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-19-865205-2 |pages=174}}
Honours
Innes was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1920 New Year Honours.{{Cite web |title=Page 4 {{!}} Supplement 31712, 30 December 1919 {{!}} London Gazette {{!}} The Gazette |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31712/supplement/1 |access-date=2024-12-22 |website=www.thegazette.co.uk}}
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Innes, John Robert}}
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Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:Members of Lincoln's Inn
Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George