▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁a ▁Lord ▁of ▁App e al ▁in ▁Ord inary ▁upon ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Lord ▁At kin ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁and ▁received ▁as ▁a ▁Law ▁lord ▁a ▁life ▁peer age . ▁He ▁chose ▁the ▁title ▁Baron ▁God d ard ▁of ▁Ald bourne ▁in ▁the ▁County ▁of ▁W ilt shire . ▁ ▁Lord ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁Vis count ▁Cal dec ote , ▁the ▁Lord ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁of ▁England ▁and ▁Wales , ▁suffered ▁a ▁stroke ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁and ▁suddenly ▁res igned , ▁creating ▁a ▁vac ancy ▁at ▁an ▁in o pport une ▁moment . ▁The ▁tradition ▁was ▁for ▁the ▁appointment ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁political ▁one , ▁with ▁the ▁Att orney - General ▁ste pping ▁up ▁to ▁take ▁it . ▁However , ▁Hart ley ▁Shaw cross ▁was ▁unw illing ▁and ▁considered ▁too ▁young . ▁The ▁appointment ▁of ▁a ▁stop - g ap ▁candidate ▁was ▁expected . ▁As ▁God d ard ▁explained ▁in ▁an ▁August ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁interview ▁with ▁David ▁Y al lop : ▁" They ▁had ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁job ▁to ▁somebody . ▁There ▁wasn ' t ▁anybody ▁else ▁available , ▁so ▁Att lee ▁appointed ▁me ." ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁Att lee ▁and ▁God d ard ▁didn ' t ▁know ▁each ▁other . ▁The ▁appointment , ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁came ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁the ▁crime ▁rate , ▁and ▁public ▁concern ▁over ▁crime , ▁were ▁both ▁increasing . ▁Through ▁his ▁jud g ments , ▁God d ard ▁made ▁it