New Judge sworn in

Press, 9 November 1978, Page 2

New Judge sworn in

Yesterday was the first occasion since World War 11, and probably the first occasion this century, that the Chief Justice had attended Christchurch to conduct the swearing-in of a Justice of the Supreme Court, said Mr R. L. Kerr, president of the Canterbury District Law Society.

Mr Kerr was speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of Mr Justice Holland (at right, above), held before a packed courtroom in the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon. Shown with Mr Justice Holland on the Bench are the Chief Justice (Sir Ronald Davison) and Mr Justice

Roper (at left). Also on the Bench were Mr Justice Casey and Sir Alex Haslam, a retired judge of the Supreme Court.

Mr Justice Holland will conduct his first sitting in the Supreme Court at Auckland on November 13. Mr Kerr said that Canterbury was honoured that the Chief Justice had been able to break into a busy schedule in order to conduct the ceremony. The swearingin of a judge was of considerable importance not only to the judge himself and the legal profession but also to the community at large.

“To Mr Justice Holland I extend the sincere congratulations of legal practitioners throughout Canterbury on his appointment to the Supreme Court Bench, which to any lawyer must be a pinnacle of achievement,” Mr Kerr said.

Mr N. S. Marquet, of Dunedin, vice-president of the New Zealand Law Society, said that it was a sign of the times and the demands made on the courts that 12 appointments had been made to the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal over the last two years. It was pleasing to see that the recommendation of the

Royal Commission on the Courts, under the chairmanship of Mr Justice Beattie, that the number of judges be increased from 22 to 25 had already been enacted and further appointments made, Mr Marquet said. The Solicitor-General, Mr R. C. Savage, Q.C., also spoke. In reply, Mr Justice Holland thanked the Chief Justice for coming to Christchurch so that he could be swom-in in his home city. He said he was sorry to leave Christchurch but was looking forward to his new life in Auckland.