Basil Scott

Sir Basil Scott
8th Chief Justice of Bombay High Court
In office 22 April 1908 – 31 May 1919
Appointed by	Edward VII
Preceded by	Lawrence Hugh Jenkins
Succeeded by	Norman Cranstoun Macleod
Advocate-General of Bombay
In office 1903–1908
Appointed by	Edward VII
Preceded by	Basil Lang
Succeeded by	Thomas Strangman
Acting Judge of Bombay High Court
In office 1906
Appointed by	Edward VII
Personal details
Born	1859 (1859)
Died	1926 (aged 66–67)
Relations	Basil Lang
Parent	Henry Scott
Education	B.A. and M.A.
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford
Occupation	Lawyer, Judge
Profession	Chief Justice

Sir Basil Scott (1859 — 1926) was 8th Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.

Early life

Sir Basil Scott was the son of Henry Scott educated at Balliol College, Oxford. He passed B.A. in 1882 and M.A. in 1886. He was called to Bar Inner Temple and came out as a barrister to practice in the Bombay High Court in 1884.

Career

Scott's uncle Basil Lang was the Advocate General and leading in practitioner of the Bombay High Court. Scott became acting Advocate-General in 1899 and was also appointed permanent Advocate-General of Bombay. In 1906 he was elevated as Puisne Judge, and after retirement of Sir Lawrence Hugh Jenkins, appointed as Chief Justice on 22 April 1908. It is known that some of his decisions were reversed by the Privy Council and he had to some extent, the prevailing prejudices of the Anglo-Indians of his time. Scott was the member of the Rowlatt Commission and also the head of Special Tribunal under the Special Tribunal Act in 1910 to deal with the case against Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

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