BENT, JEFFERY HART (1780-1852), first judge in Australia,

the son of Robert Bent and elder brother of Ellis Bent (q.v.), born in 1780, was educated at Mr Barnes's school, Manchester, and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1804, and M.A. in 1807. In volume III of Admissions to Trinity College, Cambridge, his first name is given as Geoffrey. He was called to the bar in 1806, was appointed judge of the supreme court of New South Wales in 1814, and arrived at Sydney on 28 July of that year. He had been only a few weeks in the colony before he was appealing to Earl Bathurst against a decision of Governor Macquarie (q.v.) to fit up one of the wings of the hospital as a temporary court house. There was much delay in holding the first sitting of the court, which was eventually fixed for 1 May 1815, and even then there were repeated adjournments because Bent had laid down the principle that anyone who had been transported could not be allowed to practise as an attorney. Macquarie was anxious that all convicts who had expiated their crime should be given every opportunity to rebabilitate themselves and lead normal lives as members of the community. Some of the men objected to by Bent had hitherto been permitted to plead before his brother, Ellis Bent, the judge-advocate, and Macquarie was satisfied that no evil consequences had resulted. He pointed out, too, that under the new regulations there would be only one attorney in the colony who would be able to plead, and that therefore one party only in each suit could have legal assistance in bringing his case forward. The tone of Bent's communications to the governor showed a great want of respect, and on 1 July 1815 Macquarie wrote to Earl Bathurst about the Bent brothers, stating that it had now become "absolutely necessary for the good of the colony . . . that they or I should be removed from it". Both of the brothers were recalled and Jeffery Bent left for England in 1817. He was subsequently chief justice of Grenada from 1820 to 1833, of St Lucia, 1833 to 1836, and from 1836 to 1852 of British Guiana. He died at Georgetown, Demerara, on 29 June 1852.

Bent was difficult and autocratic. His feelings on the employment of ex-convicts in courts are to some extent understandable, but he made no allowance for the differing views of Macquarie and the difficulties with which the governor had to contend.