Richard Aston

Sir Richard Aston (1717–1 March 1778) was an English judge, best known as King's Counsel and Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in Ireland. Sir Richard Aston was known as one of the early pioneers in Irish Law, in which he sought to change the process in which bills of indictment were issued without the examination of witnesses. In 1765 Aston resigned from his post in Ireland and was subsequently knighted. Aston died on the 1 March 1778, leaving nothing to either of his surviving wives.

Quotes

• It is the Court, not the jury, who are to determine the law.
  • Pillans v. Van Mierop (1764), 3 Burr. Part IV. 1675.

• The Court will not keep back their opinion without having sufficient ground for doubting, and a necessity of taking time to satisfy their doubts: on the other hand, they will not give their opinions over-hastily and prematurely, merely to gratify the humours or passions of mankind.
  • Rex v. Wilkes (1770), Hilary Term 10 Geo. 3. B. R..

• The Court of Chancery never decrees that shall be evidence, which in its nature is not evidence.
  • Ludlam on the Demise of Hunt (1773), Lofft. 364.

• One would wonder, when a word was in use two hundred years ago, that there should remain now any doubt what it is.
  • Vallejo v. Wheeler (1774), Lofft. 646.