John de Villiers, 1st Baron de Villiers
The Lord de Villiers | |
|---|---|
| 1st Chief Justice of South Africa | |
| In office 1910–1914 | |
| Monarch | King George V |
| Preceded by | New position |
| Succeeded by | Sir James Rose Innes |
| Chief Justice of the Cape Colony | |
| In office 1874–1910 | |
| Monarchs | Queen Victoria King Edward VII |
| Succeeded by | position replaced by Chief Justice of South Africa |
| Attorney General of Cape Colony | |
| In office 1872–1874 | |
| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Preceded by | William Porter |
| Succeeded by | Simeon Jacobs |
John Henry de Villiers, 1st Baron de Villiers, KCMG, PC (15 June 1842 – 2 September 1914) was a Cape lawyer and judge. He was Attorney-General in the Molteno Government, Chief Justice for the Cape Colony, and later the first Chief Justice for the Union of South Africa. As the country's most senior judge for 40 of its formative years, De Villiers is often considered the most influential judge in South African history.