Williams, James
James Williams was born in Wellington, New Zealand, on 2 July 1907. He attended Auckland Grammar School from 1921 to 1924, and Auckland University College from 1925 to 1929, graduating Ll.B. in 1928, and LL.M. in 1929. He was awarded a travelling scholarship in law, and attended Clare College, Cambridge, where he graduated Ph.D. in 1932. He was also subsequently awarded an honorary LL. D. from Cambridge in 1953.
Between 1932 and 1934, Williams practised as a barrister in Auckland. From 1935 to 1942, he was Professor of English and New Zealand Law at Victoria University College. He was appointed to the Chair of Law
at the University of Sydney in 1942, resigning in 1946 to take up his old Chair at Victoria University College. He continued in this Chair until 1951, when he was appointed Principal of Victoria University College, becoming Vice Chancellor in 1958, and Vice Chancellor and Principal of the new Victoria University of Wellington in 1961. Williams was Chairman of the New Zealand Vice Chancellors Committee from 1965 to 1966. He died in Sydney on 12 January 1976.
During his time at the University of Sydney, Williams was involved in two major controversies. The first involved the nature of his appointment in 1941-1942. At that time, there was a feeling amongst some Fellows of Senate that no appointments to Chairs should be made whilst potential candidates were in the armed forces, particularly as the candidates for the two Chairs in Law being considered at the time, Williams and Julius Stone, were both of military age. When Senate proceeded to the appointment of the two men, a recission motion in the Senate held up the confirmation of the appointments. Charges of anti-semitism were made, and the refusal of the Senate to re-consider the appointments led to the threatened resignation of a government-appointed Fellow, Sir Henry Manning. The second controversy came about as a result of the incompatibility of Williams and Stone, and a consequent complaint to the Professorial Board by Stone that Williams, as Dean, had not held meetings of the Faculty of Law. The matter developed into a discussion as to the duties of a Dean, and the appropriate functioning of a Faculty. Williams subsequently resigned his Chair over the issue, which involved an investigatory committee of the Professorial Board.