LAW REFORM

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22182, 27 August 1937, Page 10

LAW REFORM

MINISTER ADDRESSES COMMITTEE

SPECIALISED KNOWLEDGE TO

BE POOLED

(press association telkgbak.)

WELLINGTON, August 26.

The first meeting of the Law Reform Committee was opened by the Attorney-General (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason), who welcomed the members, and asked the Chief Justice (the Rt. Hon. Sir Michael Myers) to preside.

Sir Michael Myers expressed gratification at the setting up of the committee, a step he himself had: long favoured. In his opinion the Attorney-General deserved the thanks of the public, as well as the profession, for the action taken in creating the machinery for reform of the law where necessary. ,

Addressing the meeting, Mr Mason said law reform, though it was primarily the concern of the legal profession, was not exclusively such, nor did the profession seek to have it so regarded. "Many intelligent men and women in different walks of life are competent to form and express an opinion on the adequacy or inadequacy of some branch or other of the law wfth which they are especially familiar," said Mr Mason. "Such institutions as the press, the university, chambers of commerce, and all who desire to see our law brought into as complete accord as may be possible with the needs of our present day society will, I trust, communicate to us any suggestions that in their considered opinion will contribute to the result that we all desire."

After referring to the items of the agenda, Mr Mason said that possibly a convenient method would be to coopt for the purpose of securing reports, members of the profession who had made a special study of particular subjects. By this means there would be a diffusion of interest • throughout members of the profession, the desire being to pool, as far as practicable, specialised knowledge for the common good. The Department of Justice would be the co-ordinating authority responsible for the marshalling pf matters dealt with, and their due presentation for legislative action.