Ralph Windham

On 3 July 1935, Windham was appointed a member of the Legal Board of Palestine by O. C. K. Corrie, Acting Chief Justice of Palestine.[4]

Windham held the office of Judge of the District Court of Palestine in 1942.[1] On 27 January 1947, Jewish extremists kidnapped Windham from the Tel Aviv District courtroom. The armed men snatched Windham while still wearing his judge's robe and wig. The kidnapping seemed to be linked to the impending execution of Dov Gruner, a member of the Irgun. High Commissioner Sir Alan Cunningham told Jewish leaders that if Windham and another hostage were not quickly freed he would impose martial law on parts of the country.[5]

Later that day an application for leave to appeal Dov Gruner's sentence to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council was granted.

In the parliamentary debate the next day Mr. Winston Churchill demanded assurance that Gruner's death sentence had not been respited on account of the hostages taken by the Jewish terrorists."[6]

Windham was released that night. He said he had not been mistreated, but the kidnappers had kept his wig as a souvenir.[7]

In July 1977, Windham told the story of his kidnapping in a Thames Television interview.[8]

In 1948, Ralph Windham was appointed a puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Ceylon by the King on the recommendations of the Colonial Secretary, the last judge to be appointed in this way.[9]

British Ceylon became independent as the Dominion of Ceylon on 4 February 1948, but Justice Ralph Windham continued to serve until 1951.[10]

On 10 April 1951, Ralph Windham, puisne judge, was appointed to exercise jurisdiction in divorce cases in Kenya.[11]

On 25 July 1955, Ralph Williams, puisne judge, Kenya, was appointed Chief Justice of Zanzibar.[12]

Ralph Windham, Chief Justice, Zanzibar, was appointed a Justice of Appeal at the Court of Appeal for Eastern Africa as of 6 January 1959.[13]

In May 1959, the Queen gave permission for Ralph Windham, lately Chief Justice, Zanzibar, to wear the insignia of the second class of the Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar, which had been conferred by the Sultan of Zanzibar.[14]

In May 1960, Ralph Windham, Justice of the East African Court of Appeal, was appointed Chief Justice of Tanganyika.[15]

In June 1960, it was announced that Ralph Windham, Justice of Appeal, HM Court of Appeal for Eastern Africa, had been appointed Knight Bachelor in the 1960 Birthday Honours List.[16]

Dick Eberlie, his ADC at this time, described him as "a quiet and gentle man", committed to maintaining the rule of law.

Sir Ralph acted as Governor-General whenever Richard Turnbull had to leave the country.[17]

He remained Chief Justice after Tanganyika became independent on 9 December 1961, holding office until 1965.[17]