Appointment As Chief Justice
Salomons advocacy had earned him a huge reputation. When Chief Justice Sir James Martin died, the position was first offered to William Bede Dalley and then Frederick Matthew Darley. Both refused. Salomons was then offered the position. After some hesitation, Salomons accepted notwithstanding that it involved a substantial reduction in income. His appointment attracted controversy in some quarters and it was reputed that the other judges of the court were against his appointment. Biographer Percival Serle states that Salomons's response to criticism was that his "appointment appears to be so wholly unjustifiable as to have led to the utterance by him of such expressions and opinions … as to make any intercourse in the future between him and me quite impossible". Serle states that each of the judges of the court denied making any such statements. He had general support with most newspapers and from the legal profession. Nevertheless, he decided on 19 November 1886 to resign the position before actually taking the oath of office. He was therefore gazetted as chief justice for only six days, having resigned twelve days after being offered the position.
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