CHIEF JUSTICE TO REPORT ON RULES

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30530, 27 August 1964, Page 12

CHIEF JUSTICE TO REPORT ON RULES

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, Aug. 26. A report commissioned by the Chief Justice (Sir Harold Barrowclough) on the question of judges’ rules, after the adoption of new rules in England, is almost ready and will be considered at the conference of Chief Justices from Australia and New Zealand in Wellington in October. Sir Harold Barrowclough announced this in Auckland today. He said that when the new judge’s rules announced earlier this year by Lord Chief Justice Parker of England were received here they were considered by the New Zealand judges. He decided then to set up a committee to report on the whole question. In the meantime, through the Justice Department, he informed the police that the old rules would be adhered to until such time as the matter had been given full consideration.

Judges’ rules, he said, were really intended as an indication to the police of what they could and could not. do in taking either oral or written statements from suspected persons. 1 Sir Harold Barrowclough

said that whatever was decided at the conference concerning judges’ rules would be reported to the AttorneyGeneral. But Sir Harold Barrowclough emphasised that most of the matters discussed recently concerning the conduct of criminal trials were matters for legislative action.