Jeffery Hart Bent

Jeffery Hart Bent, occasionally known as Geoffrey Hart Bent (1781 – 29 June 1852) was the first judge in the colony of New South Wales, Australia.

Bent was the son of Robert Bent and elder brother of Ellis Bent. He was educated at Mr Barnes's school, Manchester, and at Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating B.A. in 1804, and M.A. in 1807. He was called to the bar of the Middle Temple in 1806.

He was appointed judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, arriving at Sydney on 28 July 1814. He refused to disembark until acknowledged with a formal salute. He had been only a few weeks in the colony before he was appealing to Earl Bathurst against a decision of Governor Macquarie to fit up one of the wings of the hospital as a temporary court house. There was much delay in holding the first sitting of the court, which was eventually fixed for 1 May 1815, and even then there were repeated adjournments because Bent refused to allow anyone who had been transported to be allowed to practice as an attorney. Macquarie was anxious that all convicts who had expiated their crime should be given every opportunity to rehabilitate themselves and lead normal lives as members of the community. Some of the men objected to by Bent had hitherto been permitted to plead before his brother, Ellis Bent, the judge-advocate, and Macquarie was satisfied that no evil consequences had resulted. He pointed out, too, that under the new regulations there would be only one attorney in the colony who would be able to plead, and that therefore one party only in each suit could have legal assistance in bringing his case forward. The tone of Bent's communications to the governor showed a great want of respect, and on 1 July 1815 Macquarie wrote to Earl Bathurst about the Bent brothers, stating that it had now become "absolutely necessary for the good of the colony . . . that they or I should be removed from it". Both of the brothers were recalled and Jeffery Bent left for England in 1817.

Bent was appointed Chief Justice of Grenada from 1820–1833 (where he was twice suspended), of St Lucia, 1833–1836, and of British Guiana from 1836 where he died (in Georgetown), on 29 June 1852.

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