SPECIAL COURT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 36, 22 November 1939, Page 2

SPECIAL COURT

HEARING COMPENSATION CASES. JUDGE and two members, (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, November 21. An announcement- that a Workers’ Compensation Court is to-be established to deal with compensation cases under the Workers’ Compensation Act, and also to assist with industrial matters when free to do so, was made this evening by the Minister for Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb). The new Court will consist of a Judge and two nominated members. The Judge of the Court of Arbitration (Mr Justice O’Regan) has been asked to preside over the new Court. This will necessitate the appointment of a new Judge to succeed him on the Arbitration Court

Bench. “Considerable dissatisfaction lias been expressed bv employers and workers’ organisations concerning the delays that- occur in the hearing of disputes by. the Court of Arbitration,” said Mr Webb. “The Court has found it impossible to arrange sittings in various centres as required by Section 78 -of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act because of the increased volume of work, with, the result that some industrial cases referred by' the Conciliation Councils to the Court have not been heard for many months. As a result of joint representations, made to the Government by the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Association, and the New Zealand Federation of Labour, provision was made in a Statutes Amendment Bill last session for the establishment of a Court to relieve the Court of Arbitration of some of the work.

“The Cabinet has decided to establish a new Court, to be called the Workers’ - Compensation Court. The new Court will consist of three members, a Judge and two nominated members. The nominated members will be appointed in the same manner as the nominated members of the Court of Arbitration. Because of his wide knowledge and experience in compensation work, the present Judge of the Court of Arbitration has been asked to preside over the new Court. Assistance from the Workers’ Compensation Court and Industrial Magistrate should enable all industrial matters to be dealt with expeditiously.”