STOUT, SIR ROBERT (1844-1930), New Zealand judge and statesman, was born on Sept. 28, 1844 at Lerwick, Shetland Isles, where he became a pupil teacher at the parish school. He went to New Zealand in 1863, was admitted (July 4, 1871) as barrister and solicitor of the supreme court of New Zealand, and from 1874-1876 was law lecturer there. In 1875 he was elected Liberal M.P. for Caversham, and in Feb. 1878 became attorney general and minister of lands and minister of immigration in Sir George Grey's ministry. He resigned in 1879 but returned to pub lic life in 1884 as member for Dunedin East. On the defeat of Sir Harry Atkinson's Government he joined Sir Jules Vogel in forming a ministry (Aug. 16-28, 1884), but after another Atkinson government had held office for a few days (Aug. 28– Sept. 3) a second Stout-Vogel government was formed which lasted three years. In both the Stout-Vogel governments Sir Robert Stout was premier and attorney-general. At the general election in 1887 he lost his seat. In 1893 he was elected as an independent Liberal for Inangahua, at a by-election, and at the general elections of 1893 and 1896 he was elected for Wellington city, to which he transferred his legal practice. In 1898 he re
signed his seat, and from 1899 to 1926 was Chief Justice.
Sir Robert Stout's principal measures were the Land Act of 1877, the first Land Tax Act (drafted in co-operation with Bal lance and which became law in 1878), and the Civil Service Re form Act of 1886 when he was made K.C.M.G. As a member of a royal commission appointed in 1881 he helped Allen Holmes to form the code of civil procedure, which was enacted in 1882 and made the supreme court procedure of New Zealand one of the simplest in the world. He was also interested in educational and temperance reform. He became member of the New Zea land university senate in 1884 and of the Victoria University college council, Wellington, and from 1903 to 1923 was chan cellor of the university. He was elected a member of the Legisla tive Council of New Zealand in 1926. He died July 19, 1930•