WORK OF SUPREME COURT

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27629, 9 April 1955, Page 3

WORK OF SUPREME COURT

Sir, —Is it impossible to have our Supreme Court’s work speeded up a little? I have had a case lodged with my solicitor since last November, and I am still waiting for the Court to deal with it. In the meantime it is costing me £2 a week while awaiting a settlement. Surely it is not asking too much to have another judge appointed to deal with the backlog that fcias piled up. Many others besides myself must be waiting to have their cases settled by the Supreme Court. It is nearly five months since my case was submitted and it appears no nearer being heard than it was before Christmas.—Yours, etc., DEMOCRACY. March 29, 1955. [The Minister of Justice (Mr J. R. Marshall) said: “While it is not possible to identify the particular case to which the correspondent refers, it should be pointed out that if the proceedings were lodged in November of last year, then they would be too late for setting down at the session which commenced in Christchurch on October 26, 1954. They could, however, in the normal course be set down for hearing at the Supreme Court session which commenced in Christchurch on February 1, 1955. As it is the normal practice to take all criminal cases first, followed by civil jury cases, it might well be that the case referred to is not a jury case, and will, therefore, be included in the •Judge alone’ cases which follow the jury work. I am able to say, howver, that Mr Justice McGregor will also be sitting in Christchurch from April 18 to 28.”]