Vice-regal Roles
Blair acted as deputy governor for brief periods whilst chief justice. He also served as Administrator of Queensland pending the arrival of the new governor in April 1932. He was appointed lieutenant-governor of Queensland on 31 May 1933. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) on 3 June 1935 in George V's Silver Jubilee King's Birthday Honours.
Blair retired as chief justice on 16 May 1940 but remained as lieutenant-governor. Blair was the subject of controversy when Justice Edward Douglas of the Supreme Court published a statement in the Brisbane-based Truth newspaper in 1944 alleging that Blair had suppressed a pension plan for judges. Douglas further alleged that Blair had received a salary as lieutenant-governor and had been given large undisclosed sums of money by the government to suppress pensions for judges. The allegations caused the other judges of the Court to condemn Douglas and lend their support to Blair. It emerged later in the Queensland Parliament that Douglas was mistaken over the pensions issue, that Blair had not received a salary as lieutenant-governor, and that the undisclosed payments were in fact payment for untaken leave.
He died on 18 November 1944 at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in South Brisbane. A service was held at St John's Cathedral, Brisbane, and a state funeral proceeded to Bulimba Cemetery (now called Balmoral Cemetery or sometimes called Morningside Cemetery).
Read more about this topic: James Blair (Australian Judge)
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