LAW CONFERENCE IN BRITAIN

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27734, 11 August 1955, Page 6

LAW CONFERENCE IN BRITAIN

Many New Zealand Delegates (From the London Correspondent of “The Press”) LONDON, July 29. More than 30 delegates from the New Zealand Law Society were listed at the first conference of the Commonwealth and Empire Law Conference which ended in London last night with a Guildhall banquet at which the Prime Minister, Sir Anthony Eden, was principal speaker. Among the variety of subjects discussed during the plenary and committee stages of the conference were professional ethics, jury system in criminal and civil cases, retirement benefits for lawyers, legal aid, recruitment to the profession, standards of education, causes of congestion in the courts and fusion of the two branches of the profession. Mr H. J. Butler, (Auckland) had the honour of being appointed chairman of the committee discussing the jury system in criminal and civil cases, while Mr F. J. Cox, also of Auckland, was appointed chairman of the committee discussing systems of land tenure and transfer. Dr. I. L. M. Richardson, a young Christchurch lawyer, said the conference had been a most stimulating experience. Every facility had been put at delegates’ disposal to see British courts in session, to visit Oxford and Cambridge and numerous other places and organisations of interest in the legal profession. Dr. Richardson said the conference, although attended by official Commonwealth law society delegates, had no power to pass resolutions or make binding decisions. It is likely that the next conference will be held in Canada in five years and the following one in Australia in 1965. There is some suggestion that, eventually, a Commonwealth Law Society will be set up. New Zealanders were well represented among the distinguished guests at the conference and included Lord Freyberg V.C., and Lady Freyberg, the High Commissioner, Mr T. Clifton Webb, Sir Leslie Munro, and Lady Munro and Mr L. A. Wingfield, New Zealand Government solicitor in London, and Mrs Wingfield. The New Zealand delegates to the conference were Messrs F. T. Bellringer (New Plymouth),H. J. Butler, G. H. C. Corbett, F. J. Cox, J. G. Cox, Dr. H. A. Cunningham, Messrs H. R. Duggan, W. R. Edge, N. H. Good, B. C. Hart, H. R. Kirker, Judge Ivor Prichard, Messrs M. Robb, R. M. Rogerson, J. H. Rose, L. F. Rudd (all Auckland), W. T. Dobson (Napier), J. Dolph (Christchurch), Mrs D. I. Gledhill (Wellington), Mr Justice Gresson (Wellington), Messrs B. W. Sewat (Invercargill), W. E. Hookey (Bay of Plenty), F. W. Horner (Hawera), V. J. Langley (Napier), G. M. Lloyd (Dunedin), G. H. Lusk (Palmerston North), Dr. J. W. Miles (Wellington), Messs D. W. McMullin (Hamilton), R. H. Quilliam (New Plymouth) Dr. I. L. M. Richardson (Christchurch), Messrs H. Taylor (Wellington), C. B. Wake (Hamilton), C. G. White and J. B. Yaldwin (Wellington).-