SAT ON THE BENCH

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 260, 30 July 1937, Page 10

SAT ON THE BENCH

New Zealand Justice in London Police Court BRITISH PROCEDURE A New Zealand justice of the peace who had file unusual and interesting experience of sitting on the bench in a London police court recounted his impressions to “The Dominion” yesterday. He was Mr. 11. F. Herbert, n well-known Christchurch footwear merchant and president of the Canterbury Justices of the Peace Association, who returned to Wellington by the Raugltuta on Wednesday after attending a conference of Empire justices in London, and the Rotary International Conference at Nice. ■While in London Mr. Herbert expressed his wish to sit on the pencil of ‘cme of the London police courts, in order to see something of the methods and procedure adopted there. So throughout a whole morning lie occupied a seat in tlie First Court at Willesden, next to the chairman, Dr. J. S. Crone. Mr. Herbert said that lie was struck by the speed ami efficiency with which cases were dealt with. Most of the offenders were charged with potty thefts, by-law infringements, and like minor offences, and they were disposed of in quick time. Methods and procedure closely resembled those in vogue in the Dominion, but he was surprised to find there was a great deal less formality than in a New Zealand court. For instance, police prosecutor and defendant seemed to indulge freely in “back-chat” with one another.

“Our courts are more strictly conducted and defendants must not speak unless called upon,” he said. “But at Willesden defendants and police seemed to confer freely.”/

Mr. Herbert said that he had no legal standing in the court; he could not, of course, exercise any judicial power in an English court. He was present purely in an honorary capacity, as the guest of the other members of the bench.

The justices’ conference took place in the Mansion House in London. Another important function which Mr. Herbert attended was a chamber of commerce dinner at which Lord Ellbank presided, and the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, spoke. As a Christchurch delegate, Mr. Herbert was one of the 8000 Rotarians who attended the convention at Nice, opened by the French Prime Minister, M. Leon Blum. During his stay in England he witnessed the Coronation ceremonies, the Naval Review at. Spithead, aud the Aidershot Tattoo. He said that he was profoundly impressed with English hospitality.