JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20909, 17 July 1933, Page 7

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

TO THfi MDITOB O? THE I'BESS Sir,—Your article in to-day's "Press" upon the extended use of the services of the justices of the peace in magisterial matters is, I feel sure, wholeheartedly endorsed by not a few of the members of the "Great Unpaid." As a justice in, the first decade of this century 1 was called upon both under the rota system and at many inconvenient times to sit and listen to indictable cases lasting sometimes for two days, over which the justices had no jurisdiction other than to dismiss or tend the case up for trial in the Supreme Court. I have vivid memorial of what was known as "justices' justice;" where identical offences were treated according to the whim of the occupants of the bench and £2 or one week, £5 or a month; £3 or a'fortnight, were the results of a truly luck/ bag juggle. In many instances tha knowledge possessed was so feeble that the Clerk of the Court really folded the bench in the course to be pursued. There are many justices who lia quietly serving the King by witntssing legal documents, etc., taking declarations and sworn informations, ud signing warrants, and generally helping the police in emergencies. We do not Want any limelight. Our duties *it Msentially ministerial and not of a judicial character. My experience that members of the legal profes«ion were easily able to tie the "amateur magistrates" up to such a degree that their dignity was ruffled and their focWons often held up to ridicule by tfce newspapers as typical . "justices justice." In my humble opinion, based tpon long experience of the judiciary, w magisterial bench is not for the toyman, but for the man of legallytrained mind, able at once from his Knowledge of procedure to combat any attempt to cloud the issue under con•Jderation. I heartily endorse the Gov-ernor-General's advice that much more J«J* should be exercised in the selection of justices than it at present Waives.—'Yours, etc., A JUSTICE OF LONG EXPERIENCE. July 15, 1933.