Sir Ivor Jennings’s Work In Drafting Constitutions

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29906, 21 August 1962, Page 15

Sir Ivor Jennings’s Work In Drafting Constitutions

Sir Ivor Jennings, ViceChancellor of Cambridge University and a leading writer on British constitutional law, who is visiting Christchurch, has spent the last seven years drafting constitutions for newly-independent countries In that time he had drafted the constitution of Ceylon, Pakistan, Malaya, and Nepal, he said in an interview on his arrival in the city yesterday. “There are several other constitutions I have been arguing about, but have not actually done the drafting—those for Malta. RhodesiaNyasaland. the Sudan, and Singapore." he said The drafting of constitutions depended on local conditions. and on the views of the ’ocal politicians giving the instructions. Sir Ivor Jennings said He was merely an adviser, and a draftsman. Asked for his comment on the desirability or otherwise of a second ’ Parliamentary chamber in New Zealand, Sir Ivor Jennings said that all such constitutional questions depended on a background of local knowledge—“which I do not possess,” he said.

Sir Ivor Jennings has been master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and Vice-Chancellor of the university for the last seven years, but on October 1 will take up the Downing chair of the laws of England at Cambridge. He has also just finished the third volume of his political science text, “Party Politics”—the three volumes have been written since 1959 —“but I will have to prepare some lectures now.” he said.

Sir Ivor Jennings has visited New Zealand for executive meetings of the Association of Universities of the British Commonwealth. The executive had discussed two major topics, he said—the organisation of the next congress of universities of the Commonwealth (held every five years! in London next year, and the application for a charter of incorporation of the association, and the approval of the necessary documents.

After a recent meeting in Auckland, members of the executive travelled to Dunedin, where they inspected Otago University, and had discussions with members of the staff. The party travelled to Christchurch from Mount Cook yesterday.