State Services Inquiry Wider Duties For Law Office Urged

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29742, 8 February 1962, Page 10

State Services Inquiry Wider Duties For Law Office Urged

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 7. Far-reaching suggestions for the future development of the Crown Law Office were made to the Royal Commission on State Services today by the Solicitor-General, Mr H. R. C. Wild, Q.C.

He proposed absorption into the Crown Law Office of the legal staffs of State departments, excluding the Public Trust, Maori Affairs, and State Advances, but including the Railways and the Post Office.

The Crown Law Office might undertake the preparation and presentation of toe more difficult police prosecutions as well as transport and other miscellaneous departmental prosecutions.

ciple had been raised to this suggestion so far as it affected criminal prosecutions, but that objection did not accord with practice in some other British countries.

There seemed no reason in principle why toe Law Drafting Office should not be included in the same department.

The adoption of these ideas no doubt presented difficulties. but it also had evident advantages, said Mr Wild. There would be ample scope tor the training of staff from the very junior to toe most senior stages. There would be co-ordina-tion and liaison between all branches and sides of the Crown’s legal work. Young men entering toe Public Service and intending to study tow would find before them a field and variety of professional work in all its aspects unsurpassed in private practice.

Mr Wild also said he thought the time would come when in the largest cities, the Crown’s own officers might take over the work now done by district Crown solicitors. Objection in prin-

There would be the widest scope tor allocating and changing duties according to the proved aptitudes and abilities of the individual But, in particular, there would be a career service which would give continuity and opixulunities tor attainment which most Public Service lawyers now lacked.

Mr Wild added that bis suggestions would meet with opposition and he was not urging them for adoption now. However, he felt it his duty to record them tor consideration in future development policy.