T0 SPEED UP THE COURTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 55, 5 March 1921, Page 12

T0 SPEED UP THE COURTS.

PROPOSAL BY THE LAW vSOCIETY

Delays entailed to legal practitioners and others at the Magistrate's Court in Auckland by' the system of calling undefended civil cases and recording them, while the parties in defended cases are awaiting their turn, were made thp subject of comment at the Uw Society's annual meeting yesterday. Ur K. P. Sellars, who raised the question, thought that such delay was avoidable, and that suggestions coming from the society with a view to saving the Court's time would be welcomed by the magistrates. He suggested fixing the hour between 9.30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. for undefended cases on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mt. E. Haddow stated that if the Court adopted a different system of dealing with undefended cases by putting in a written judgment where no defence was fifed, without calling the cases, as was done in the Supreme Court, the position would be met. Others remarked that the system, suggested by Mr. Haddow had been adopted in Wellington and worked satisfactorily, though there was believed to be some technical objection concerning the fees. Thf. meeting eventually decided to recommend that the practice followed in Wellington be adopted, and that the solicitor's fee for appearance be allowed in all cases where judgment is given on a written application filed beforehand.