Sir Charles Ernest St John Branch KC (2 June 1865 – 1939), known as St John Branch, was a British colonial administrator, who served as Chief Justice of Jamaica 1923-25 and the 23rd Chief Justice of Ceylon 1925-26.

Sir
Charles Ernest St John Branch
23rd Chief Justice of Ceylon
In office
3 July 1925 – 25 May 1926
Appointed byWilliam Manning
Preceded byAnton Bertram
Succeeded byStanley Fisher
Chief Justice of Jamaica
In office
1923–1925
Preceded bySir Anthony Coll
Succeeded byFiennes Barrett-Lennard
Personal details
Born(1865-06-02)2 June 1865
Trinidad
Died1939
Horsham, West Sussex, UK
ChildrenDenzil Templer Branch
Alma materDurham University

Career

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Branch was born in San Ferdinand, Trinidad, the eldest son of Rev. Canon Branch.

He was assistant attorney-general of the British Leeward Islands in 1900. In 1910 he was made Auditor General of Jamaica and in 1921 a puisne judge in the Straits Settlements. In 1923 he returned to Jamaica as Chief Justice, a position he held until 1925. He was made a Knight Bachelor in the 1924 Birthday Honours.[1]

On 3 July 1925 he was appointed Chief Justice of Ceylon, succeeding Anton Bertram, a position he held until 25 May 1926, when he was succeeded by Stanley Fisher.[2][3][4]

He died in Horsham, West Sussex in 1939.

Family

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Branch married at Christ Church, Crookham, on 24 March 1900, to Agnes Irene Templer, daughter of Philip Arthur Templer, former Administrator of Dominica.[5] They had two sons, the younger of which was killed in World War II.

References

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  1. ^ "No. 32959". The London Gazette. 25 July 1924. p. 5636.
  2. ^ "Overview". Judicial Service Commission Secretariat. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  3. ^ "BRANCH, Sir (Charles Ernest) St John". Who's Who & Who Was Who. A & C Black. Retrieved 7 January 2013. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. ^ Amerasinghe, A. Ranjit B. (1986). The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka : the first 185 years. Ratmalana: Sarvodaya Book Pub. Services. ISBN 955599000X.
  5. ^ "Marriages". The Times. No. 36100. London. 27 March 1900. p. 1.
Legal offices
Preceded by Chief Justice of Ceylon
1925-1926
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Justice of Jamaica
1923-1925
Succeeded by