LEGAL DELAYS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 404, 13 January 1909, Page 8

LEGAL DELAYS.

UON-APPOIimiENT OF EXTRA- JUDGE. 11 LAW SOCIETY PROTESTS, < 'The recent published announcement by the Hon. Dr. Findlay that it was not intended to Vppmnt a temporary judge in the absence of the Chief Justice in England is not being al]owed to pass without notice. ' Wo "have received the following letter , from Mr. T." , Young, president of the Wellington * District Law So'ciety, enclosing one beeii addressed to the Hon. Minister for Justice.< Editor Dominion, - * I , Sir,—Referring to the report published by you on January 9 of an interview with the Hon. J. G-. Fmdlay, I now send you', for your information, a copy of a letter which I have addressed to him on the Bubject.— \ am, etc , ' • ~ c '7' , '>' /

T. YOUNG, Pres. W.D.L. Soc. " f , '(Copy.) Tho Hon J. G , . Findlay, Minister of Justice, J ■* Sir,—The attention of council of the Wellington District Law Society has been drawn to a newspaper report or an interview with you m Dunedin m which you are stated to ha\e pojnted out that, although during the past twelvo months the Chief Justice had been, almost entirely withdrawn,/ from judicial work, owing to,the demands made on his timo by thp Native Land Court, the ' remaining l Judges had been able J to discharge the work satisfactorily, and therefore it was not considered necessary at present to appoint a temporary Judge It is evident that | the complaints as to the delays in getting I cases heard during the last twelve months' have not reached you, and,,the. council , ■• sires toj draw your attention to the fact;' that very serious delays have occurred owing to the want of suliicient judicial assistance 'At thp November sittings, in particular, Mr. Justice he tos ,unabie to give i 1 appointments for sixteen cases set down for hearing at that sittings, and that ho was' quite unable any appointments for several compensation cases which, were awaiting a hearing. Subsequently three of these cases wore disposed of, but'the remaining thirteen are still unheard," and appointments cannot be obtained before February 10, when the Civil Sittings commence Besides the above, there are on tho banco list fifteen matters ,be disposed of , Ev,ery practising member of tho prolession. is an are that tho pressure on the Judges' t'imo during the last year has been very great, and a gceatdeal of business was disposed of beforo and after the usual sitting hours of the Court, yet, notwithstanding this, the next sittings will commence with the above heavy* legacy of arrears left over from sitting. I can only.speak, of course,..as to the position oi matters in Wellington. lam not,/iwaro what work there is for the Judges, to do in other centres Under the jCircumstancos tho council respectfully suggests (the,advisability of tome measure being taken to.provido for the disposal of the business during tho expected absence of the, Chief -Justice..:- ■'- -:;.- ;■ I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient Servant, ,

T. YOUNG, - *( ' __ Press WDLz-Soc The Minister has replied, promising to confer with the, Chief 'Justice, and stating that it seems possible to arrange forborne of the Judges who aro not so fully occupied to come to Wellington and partially reuove tho Judges here of any extra pressure of work The Minister considers that tho appointment of 'a temporary judge ehonld be avoided if possible. ,