{{For|the barrister and legal historian|G. J. Turner}}{{Short description|English barrister, politician and judge}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Use British English|date=March 2018}} '''Sir George James Turner''', FRS (5 February 1798 – 9 July 1867) was an English barrister, politician and judge. He became a Lord Justice of Appeal in chancery.
==Life== [[File:Sir George James Turner Escutcheon.png|thumb|'''Arms:''' ''Sable a chevron Ermine between three millrinds Or on a chief Argent a lion passant Gules''. '''Crest:''' ''A lion passant Gules holding in the dexter paw a branch of laurel Vert''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Debrett's Illustrated House of Commons and Judicial Bench |date=1867}}</ref>]] Born at [[Great Yarmouth]] on 5 February 1798, he was the youngest of eight sons of Richard Turner, for many years the vicar there; [[William Turner (envoy)|William Turner]] was his elder brother. George was educated at [[Charterhouse School]] and then at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where his uncle [[Joseph Turner (priest)|Joseph Turner]] was Master. He graduated B.A. in 1819, was elected a Fellow, and proceeded M.A. in 1822. He was [[called to the bar]] at [[Lincoln's Inn]] in 1821.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNB|wstitle=Turner, George James|volume=57}}</ref><ref>{{acad|TNR814GJ|Turner, George James}}</ref>
After building up an extensive practice as a junior counsel, Turner was made a [[Queen's Counsel]] in 1840. In 1847 he was elected, in the Conservative interest, Member of Parliament for [[Coventry (UK Parliament constituency)|Coventry]], and represented the borough until his promotion to the bench in April 1851. He introduced and carried the measure known as "Turner's Act" ([[Court of Chancery (England) Act 1850]], ''An Act to diminish the delay and expense of proceedings in the High Court of Chancery in England''), intended to simplify parts of the machinery of the [[Court of Chancery]].<ref name="DNB"/><ref>{{cite book|author1=Kanaga Dharmananda|author2=Anthony Papamatheos|title=Perspectives on Declaratory Relief|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g85s169UeY0C&pg=PA131|year=2009|publisher=Federation Press|isbn=978-1-86287-726-9|pages=131–2}}</ref>
In April 1851, Turner was appointed a [[Vice-Chancellor of England]], and received the customary knighthood. In the same year he was sworn a member of the Privy Council. In 1852 he was on the chancery reform commission, and in 1853 he became a Lord Justice of Appeal in chancery, keeping the position until his death, which took place on 9 July 1867 at 23 Park Crescent, London. He was buried at [[Kelshall]], near [[Royston, Hertfordshire]].<ref name="DNB"/> Turner was a bencher of Lincoln's Inn, a governor of Charterhouse School, and a [[Fellow of the Royal Society]]. On 7 June 1853 he had received the honorary degree of D.C.L. from the university of Oxford. As a judge he opposed attempts to narrow the limits of the jurisdiction of the chancery court, and made efforts to expand its remedial powers to meet contemporary developments.<ref name="DNB"/>
==Works== In 1832 Turner edited a volume of chancery reports dealing with cases between 1822 and 1824, with [[James Russell (law reporter)|James Russell]].<ref name="DNB"/>
==Family== Turner married, in 1823, Louisa, youngest daughter of Edward Jones of [[Brackley, Northamptonshire]], by whom he had six sons, including [[James Turner (bishop)|Bishop James Turner]], and three daughters.<ref name="DNB"/>
==Notes== {{reflist}}
;Attribution {{DNB|wstitle=Turner, George James|volume=57}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, George James}} [[Category:1798 births]] [[Category:1867 deaths]] [[Category:English barristers]] [[Category:19th-century English judges]] [[Category:Fellows of Pembroke College, Cambridge]] [[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]] [[Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]] [[Category:People from Great Yarmouth]] [[Category:Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge]] [[Category:People educated at Charterhouse School]] [[Category:Members of Lincoln's Inn]] [[Category:19th-century King's Counsel]] [[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]] [[Category:Knights Bachelor]] [[Category:Members of Parliament for Coventry]] [[Category:UK MPs 1847–1852]] [[Category:Vice chancellors (Court of Chancery)]]