Supreme Court reorganisation

Press, 22 May 1978, Page 7

Supreme Court reorganisation

PA Dunedin The Supreme Court in Dunedin will become part of a South Island circuit administered from Christchurch, under a new plan by the Chief Justice (Sir Ronald Davison) for separately administered regional circuits to improve the administration of the Supreme Court in New Zealand.

The steps which he intends to take were made known by Sir Ronald to the president of the Otago District Law Society (Mr M. H. Haggitt) on Thursday when Mr Haggitt was in Wellington.

Members of the Otago Law Society had become

concerned recently about two incidents involving the postponement of the June sitting of the Court and the split sentencing of two youths who had been jointly tried in Dunedin. The incidents were seen by Mr Haggitt as a direct result not only of the limitations of the circuit system, used in Dunedin since the last resident judge left, but also because of the “neglect” ( of an outworn system of administration by successive Governments. The Chief Justice’s plan is an attempt to improve administration of the Supreme Court and involves the creation of four Supreme Court circuits for New Zealand, each of which will be administered by one of the puisne judges.