PARLIAMENT OF EMPIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 140, 14 June 1911, Page 5

PARLIAMENT OF EMPIRE.

THE COTTRT OF APPEAL. REPRESENTATION OP THE COLONIES. OLD FORMS MAINTAINED. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) LONDON, June 13. At the Imperial Conference the New Zealand resolution regarding an Imperial Court of Appeal was submitted as follows, That it has now become evident, considering the growth of population, the diversity 0 f laws enacted by, and the differing public policies affecting legal interpretation in His Majesty's Oversea Dominions, that no Imperial Court of Appeal can be satisfactory which does not include judicial representatives of these Oversea Dominions." Mr. Batchelor (Australian Minister tor External Affairs) emphasised the awkwardness of having separate final courts of appeal for the United Kingdom and the Overseas Dominions, and the inconvenience experienced overseas fey getting in appeal cases a single judgment of a majority of the Privy Council, instead of the separate opinions of all the judges. Lord Loreburn made it clear that the Government was willing to give the Dominions whatever sort of final court they wanted, but the old iorms must be maintained. j The Conference agreed that the procedure and membership of the House of Lords and the Privy Council should be j assimilated, as far as possible preserving old names. It was stated that none of the Domin- : ions were able to spare judges to serve as i overseas members of the Privy Council. After discussion the motion was withI drawn.