Herbert Nicholls

Sir Herbert Nicholls KCMG (11 August 1868 – 11 November 1940) was an Australian judge and politician, who was Chief Justice of Tasmania from 1914 to 1937, and as an independent member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1900 to 1909.

After working as a mail clerk, Nicholls was articled to Andrew Inglis Clark and Matthew Wilkes Simmons, and was admitted to the Bar in 1892.

[7] When the Chief Justice of Tasmania, Sir John Dodds, died in office in June 1914, Nicholls was appointed as his replacement.

Nicholls was serving as administrator in October 1923, when the Nationalist government of Sir Walter Lee lost a confidence motion on the floor of the house.

Nicholls refused to dissolve the parliament and call an election, and appointed Joseph Lyons as Premier of a minority Labor government when Lee resigned.