"JUSTICES' JUSTICE."

Auckland Star, Issue 291, 9 December 1925, Page 9

"JUSTICES' JUSTICE."

MORE CRITICISM. OPPOSITION BY LAWYEBS. Comment made last week by lawyers 3 regarding justices of the peace on the ] Police Court Bench has been widely die- ■ cussed, and the published remarks have ] met with the whole-hearted support of 1 the legal profession, .according* to remarks made to a "Star" representative. Interest was added to the matter by ' the letter from a justice of the peace, which was printed in our issue on Monday evening. In the communi- ' nation, the. writer, a justice of nearly three decades , standing, agreed J that the real sphere of a justice ' was a limited one indeed. Inci- * lentally, he opened up another avenue 1 in commenting upon the attitude of the newly-formed association. This is a 1 matter upon which comment was made 1 it the time the legal gentlemen gave ' their opinions for publication, it being 1 alleged by one of the speakers that the 1 body was getting a very big, but en- ' tirely false idea of itself. The letter was discussed in the pre- ' :incts of the court this morning, and evoked further comment. "I do not like amateur justice," said a barrister. ' "It's cheap and nasty. I have con- . stantly tried to have cases adjourned when I know that .justices are on the ' bench. Ido not feel disposed to risk my client's liberty or rights with 'justices' justice.' It is not right that , we practitioners should be asked to take , our carefully prepared cases before ama- > teurs in the law-game. There have , been a few glaring cases of bad justice, , and we don't want any more." It s understood that the police are not in favour of justices having sole charge of the Court one day each week. , The general opinion in the legal pro- : fession is that the proposal that justices i shall be given a whole day a week on < the Police Court Bench, especially the i busiest day—Wednesday—should be dpposed so strenuously that the idea will < not be given effect to. Certainly this ' is the attitude of the majority of the lawyers here. They are wafting to see 1 just what transpires from the criticism that has been ventilated. ; The new scheme was commenced to* ' day, when two justices sat alone on the ] Bench of the Police Court. i