 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.