Sir Hugh Fraser

Born in 1860, this British barrister and judge was educated at Charterhouse School and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he built an early reputation as a strong law student. He was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1886 and went on to teach and examine law for many years, including work with the Incorporated Law Society and the Inns of Court.

He became especially well known for his expertise in libel, torts, and election law. His legal textbooks were widely used and repeatedly updated, with his works on torts and libel running through many editions during his lifetime. Although he developed a large and respected practice, he chose not to take silk, preferring to remain at the junior bar.

In 1924 he was appointed to the High Court and assigned to the King’s Bench Division, an unusually direct promotion that was widely noted at the time. Knighted in 1917, he served on the bench until his death in 1927. Alongside his legal writing, he also published Amid the High Hills in 1923.