TOO MANY JUSTICES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 65, 17 March 1928, Page 12

TOO MANY JUSTICES.

SUGGESTED REDUCTION.

SUPPRESSION OF PRISONERS'

NAMES. REMITS FOR CONFERENCE. The annual conference of the Federation of New Zealand Justices' Association will be held in the Town Hall next Wednesday. There will be delegates from all parts of the Dominion. The president, Mr. H. H. Smith, of Christchurch, will preside. The only nomination received for the office of president for the ensuing year is that of A. J. Stratford, of Auckland.

A lejigthy agenda paper has been prepared. A notice of motion tabled by Auckland is to the effict thai .n minor cases of birth concealment the lower court should be given summary jurisdiction. Canterbury recommends that in all large centres justice courts be instituted where justices will preside. It is pointed out by (Canterbury that there are 6000 justices on the official roll, and it is recommended "that fewer appointments be made in the future, and when made they should be confined to the localities where the services of a justice are absolutely essential."

A matter of considerable interest is to be brought up by Wanganui in a motion seeking to give power to justices at preliminary hearings to suppress names of accused persons. A footnote by the registrar to this motion sets but that the court including justices may prohibit -publication of a name of an accused person who has not been previously convicted.

The conference will be opened by the Mayor, Mr, Geo. Baildon.