GROWTH OF JUDICIAL WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 27, 1 February 1910, Page 5

GROWTH OF JUDICIAL WORK.

REMARKS BY MR- JUSTICE EDWARDS. TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENTS MADE. At the opening of the Civil Sessions of the Supreme Court 'this" morning, his Honor Mr- Justice Edwards referred t<? the heavy pressure of judicial, work in th* Auckland district, and' the imnossibllitjp for one judge to cope satisfactorily ther«» with. Addressing Mr. J. R. Beed, as president of the Auckland Law Society, his Honor said that it jnust have been apparent to the bar for'some time past' that It was quite impossible for ' one judge to cope satisfactorily with the judicial work in the Auckland district. A glance, at the map would show that this district covered half the North Island. In Wellington they had three judges—the Chief Justice and their Honors Mr. Justice .Cooper and Mr. Justice Chapman. The criminal work there was about half of what it was in Auckland. The civil work .'was' about double, and. there were' more circuit sittings. Nevertheless the (amount of judicial power in Wellington was out of all proportion, and, moreover, owing to the lightness of the work in the South Island Wellington was often able to resort to the valoable assistance of Mr. Justice Denniston, who took circuit sittings and even assisted in the city itself. It was quite apparent that the present state of things could not continue in Auckland.. He had done his best to discharge " his onerous duties,' not" always, he feared, to the satisfaction of counsel, and he had been obliged to treat counsel with severity and even asperity to secure that no minute should .be wastied. Yet the pressure had been so great that ho had had to sit in Hamilton on a compensation case during the Long .Vacation, and that case had had to wait for.eight months. It was not fair to the" parties, to the judge or to the counsel 'to sit during the Long "Vacation, which ought to be devoted to much-needed rest. . He had intimated to the Hon- Dr~"Fmdlay feat assistance was required, and he was satisfied that the Minister of Justice recognised that assistance was necessary. It had been recognised that judges were entitled to a year's holiday occasionally, though opinions differed as to hew often. Most judges thought they should get one year in ten. The Chief Justice thought the proportion should be one year in seven. He was quite prepared to bow to the view of the Chief Justice in" that matter. (Laughter.) At present two judges were absent fromth'e colony. The position here was thatthere were,2sdays,;including Saturdays and Sundays, for all the civil and criminal business, "because he had to open the session at Hamilton on February 28th, and he had to take compensation cases at Whangarei during that time.. The oruninal work must be allowed to take its course. It could not be hurried. To do so would be unfair to the country, and it would be resented by juries; with the result- that acquittals would follow where there ought to; be convictions. He""had-"made temporary arrangements to cope with the work. His Honor' Mr. Justice Cooper would take the criminal business, starting next Monday, and he boped it would be.disposed of in "fourteen days, the calendar bermj_ for •Auckland a light one- At the .May sessions Mr. Justice Sim would take : the criminal business. ~ These -arrangements were satisfactory to himself, -felt that they would be satisfactory bar: But they were at best only, temporary arrangements, and It.,would, be necessary to see what could be done to cope definitely with the position. -Tor hirpart he thought Mr.- Justice' Sun should receive a permanent commission, and be attached to the Northern judicial district. It was perfectly certain that some course must be"- taken; - Mr. J. R. Reed said tite bar .bad-long Tecbgnised that bis Honor had far too much .work to do. It was. qurte unfair that his Honor should have to work till 1 ajn. or 2 a-m. night-after night during the session as was "at present the case. It was too nftieb to expect of .any .man. As for the appointment' of- Mt. Justice Sim, it would meet with the approval of the Auckland bar, who knew thatlearhed judge-and had every confidence in hhn. His Honor intimated that he' would take civil business during the criminal I Sessions. " ''■";.'.-; -7- Li