While in Turkey, Hornby sat as a consular assessor in the British consular courts.
Hornby was asked by the Foreign Office to write a report on the exercise of extraterritorial judicial powers in Turkey by consuls who had no legal training or background.
Hornby recommended setting up a court with dedicated staff to handle judicial work.
This was accepted and on 27 August 1857, at the age of 32, Hornby was appointed Judge of the British Supreme Consular Court at Constantinople.
He was knighted five years later in 1862 at the early age of 37.

In 1865, Hornby was appointed Chief Judge of the newly established British Supreme Court for China and Japan in Shanghai.
Charles Wycliffe Goodwin was appointed Assistant Judge.
The court had jurisdiction over British subjects in China and Japan.
Hornby served as Chief Judge for 11 years before retiring, at the age of 51 in 1876.
He was succeeded by Englishman George French, the former Chief Justice of Sierra Leone.
While in Turkey, Hornby sat as a consular assessor in the British consular courts. Hornby was asked by the Foreign Office to write a report on the exercise of extraterritorial judicial powers in Turkey by consuls who had no legal training or background. Hornby recommended setting up a court with dedicated staff to handle judicial work. This was accepted and on 27 August 1857, at the age of 32, Hornby was appointed Judge of the British Supreme Consular Court at Constantinople. He was knighted five years later in 1862 at the early age of 37.
In 1865, Hornby was appointed Chief Judge of the newly established British Supreme Court for China and Japan in Shanghai. Charles Wycliffe Goodwin was appointed Assistant Judge. The court had jurisdiction over British subjects in China and Japan. Hornby served as Chief Judge for 11 years before retiring, at the age of 51 in 1876. He was succeeded by Englishman George French, the former Chief Justice of Sierra Leone.
Edmund Grimani Hornby