On 20 November 1895 Douglas Archibald Campbell was appointed as Assistant Resident Magistrate at Lady Grey in the district of Aliwal North. This appointment was made under the provisions of the 3rd Section of Act No 16 of 1882. The court of the Assistant Resident Magistrate of Lady Grey functioned from Friday, 22 November 1895. No local limits were defined for Lady Grey. According to a legal opinion dated 7 August 1896 the Assistant Resident Magistrate together with the Resident Magistrate of Aliwal North had jurisdiction over the entire district of Aliwal North.
Prior to 22 November 1895 periodical courts were held at Lady Grey by the Resident Magistrate of Aliwal North for the period 18 October 1877 to 20 May 1886 and as from 15 July 1886 by the Resident Magistrate of Herschel.
In terms of section 10(2) of Act No 32 of 1917, an “Act to consolidate and amend the Law relating to Magistrates’ Courts”, Lady Grey was proclaimed a sub-district of Aliwal North on 1 January 1918 the area of jurisdiction to be as follows: “That portion of the District of Aliwal North, situate within the following boundaries:- From a point on the Orange River common to the farms Theefontein and Oudekraal; thence along the boundaries of the following farms so as to exclude them from this area: Oudekraal, Lemoenfontein and Naudesfontein to the Kraai River; thence in an easterly direction along the Kraai River to a point on the farm Delta where the Kraai River enters the District of Barkly East; thence along the boundaries of the following farms so as to exclude them from this area: Donnybrook, Glen Almond, Kenmure, Joubert, Ben Nevis and Snowdon to the north-western beacon of the latter, common to the District of Aliwal North, Herschel and Barkly East; thence along the boundary of the District of Herschel to its junction with the Orange River; thence along the Orange River to the point first named.”
On the same date Mr PKA de Vos was appointed Magistrate for the sub-district of Lady Grey.
On 27 May 1927 the sub-district of Lady Grey was abolished and a district created known as the District of Lady Grey with the following boundaries: “From the easterly beacon of the farm Pelion, common to it and the Aliwal North, Herschel and Barkly East Divisions; thence along the boundaries of the following farms so as to include them in this district: Pelion, Ossa, Tempe, Wepener, Orpendale and Delta, to where the eastern boundary of the latter farm intersects the middle of the Kraai River; thence down the middle of the Kraai River to a point opposite the south-western boundary of Klipplaat Fontein; thence along the boundaries of the following farms so as to include them in this district: Klipplaat Fontein, Stryd Fontein, Beerfontein, Vlakte Fontein, portion of Limoen Fontein called Schoongesicht A, portion of Limoen Fontein called Lot D, Thee Fontein and Oude Kraal to the middle of the Orange River; thence up the middle of the Orange River to its intersection with the middle of the Wilgeboom Spruit; thence up the middle of the said spruit and along the boundaries of the following farms so as to include them in this district: Riet Fontein, Welverdiend, Lot C, Lady Grey Municipality, Helvellyn, Olympus and land granted to CE Mandy on 15 June 1894, to the beacon first named.”
