LAND SALES COURT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 310, 11 October 1943, Page 6

LAND SALES COURT.

APPOINTMENT OF PRESIDENT. MR G. P. FINLAY. (P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 9. The appointment of Mr G. P. Finlay, an Auckland barrister and solicitor, as a Judge of the Supreme Court was announced by the Attorney-Gen-eral (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason) today. Mr Justice Finlay will be seconded to the presidency of the Land Sales Court under the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Act. Mr Justice Finlay is a former president o<’ the Auckland Law Society Before beginning to practice in Auckland about 20 years ago he was in practice at Te Kuiti. One of the most important cases in which he has appeared was the claim of an Auckland box-making firm for heavy damages against the Crown as the result of fires which, it was alleged, were caused by sparks from railway engines. The Land Sales Court consists of three members, the Judge (who must be a party to all decisions) and two lay members. The duty of the Court is to sit as a judicial body for the determination of appeals against decisions of the Land Sales Committees, but it may also issue general directions to he observed by Land Sales Committees, and may exercise any power or function of a land sales committee. The duties of land sales committee are to fix compensation payable for land taken for the settlement of servicemen and to consider applications for the approval of land transactions. The lay members of the Court and the members of the land Sales Committee have not yet been appointed. The Act comes, into operation on October 18. After that day land transactions, with certain exceptions, must receive the approval of the Court.