Law Professor Values Professional Liaison

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28321, 5 July 1957, Page 10

Law Professor Values Professional Liaison

“In England, a university degree alone does not qualify a lawyer to practise in the profession, whereas in New Zealand a law degree does. It is, therefore, important that I should proceed hand in hand with the profession and in consultation with the other law schools in Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin,” said Professor H. R. Gray, first occupant of the newly-created chair of law at Canterbury University College, on his arrival in Christchurch yesterday. The Law Society in England set its own examinations for qualifications to practise. Qualification, integral with study at the university in New Zealand, demanded the closest liaison with the profession, he said.

Professor Gray has no preconceived notions on how he will organise the law department. With little more than one term to go of this year’s session, he intends to spend most of his time study-

New Zealand requirements. He does not expect to take many lectures this year, because he does not wish to interfere with the present staff. But one innovation, which Professor Gray hopes will come soon, is a post-graduate school of law in Christchurch. Young Canterbury lawyers, after graduation, apparently had the disadvantage of having to attend seminars in other colleges if they wished to proceed to a master’s degree, he said. The sooner facilities could be provided locally the better. Nottingham University

In the last 10 years, Professor Gray has seen the law school at Nottingham University (where he was senior lecturer) develop from the stage where the Canterbury College law department is at present, with part-time staff drawn from the profession and mostly part-time students. Now Nottingham has a professor of law, five of a lecturing staff, 80 full-time students, and about 15 part-time students.

The English provincial system was for a law student to spend three years at the university, three years as an articled clerk, and then pass his professional ex-

aminations or, alternatively, he could be articled for five years and take part-time university studies and then qualify. Formerly it was common for a law student to work for his degree while he was in a law office (perhaps taking two days off a week). “But the tendency now is more and more toward full-time study,” Professor Gray said. In practical subjects such as conveyancing, practical experience by a student was desirable as a matter of principle, Professor Gray said. In other subjects such as the laws of contracts and of torts, a student was betterequipped if he entered a law office with university study in this field The trend was toward a solid background before office work. Professor Gray said he had drawn this conclusion from serving on both sides of the fence. His university appointment was full-time but he was also able to practise as a solicitor at the same time. (In Christchurch he will not engage in private practice but has been authorised by the college council to give legal opinions.) Close Touch Professor Gray said that under the full-time staff and student set-up in Nottingham, close touch was kept with the profession through a law advisory committee.

Asked if a professor coming to teach law in New Zealand would have to study a formidable library of Dominion statutes and regulations, Professor Gray said that obviously he would have to read up this law. He would not teach it without experience of it. But there were substantial similarities. In jurisprudence and international law there would be no essential differences. Common law subjects, such as contracts, torts, and evidence, would be substantially the same with some New Zealand variations. But legal procedure was peculiar to each country. “In my view this ought always to be taught by a practitioner,” Professor Gray said. Professor Gray’s personal interest is the law of property and conveyancing and he said he would learn New Zealand practice with special interest. Professor Gray, a married man almost 37, is one of the youngest professors ever appointed to Canterbury College. He was educated at St. Dunstan’s College, Catford, London, and King’s College of the University of London, where he graduated in law in 1945, after serving throughout the war in the Royal Navy as a signalman. He took the master of laws degree in 1950. He has been senior lecturer at Nottingham since 1947, written widely for law journals in Britain, the United States, and Canada, and was an external examiner for the University of London.

The Chief Justice (Sir Harold Barrowclough) will leave Auckland by air today for Australia, where he will attend a legal conference. During his absence Mr Justice Finlay will be acting-Chief Justice.—(PA.)