Philip Crampton Smyly was born on 28 March 1866, the son of Dr (later Sir) Philip Crampton Smyly (1838-1904) and Selina Maria (Nina), 6th daughter of the 3rd Baron Plunket. Smyly senior was a distinguished surgeon whose many posts included the Presidency of the Royal College of Surgeons, 1878-79. He was Surgeon to Queen Victoria and King Edward VII in Ireland, and also to the Viceroys of Ireland 1869-1892. Like his father, Philip went to Trinity College, Dublin. He was called to the bar in 1888. In 1895 he was appointed Crown Advocate in Sierra Leone: the following year he became Attorney-General when legal posts were reorganised. Following the death of Bruce Hindle he became Acting Chief Justice, and Governor Cardew recommended that he should be appointed to the post, but the Colonial Office did not consider him experienced enough. In 1901 he became Chief Justice, a post he held for ten years, receiving a knighthood in 1905. From 1911 until his retirement in 1929 he was Chief Justice of the Gold Coast. He died on 29 May 1953. By his marriage to Aileen Grace Smyly (d. 1935) he had two sons and one daughter.