COUNTY COURT.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue I, 22 April 1843, Page 3

COUNTY COURT.

INGENUITY OF THE AUCKLAND LAWYERS. It was painfully amusing on Tuesday last to witness the scene at this court, which appears, notwithstanding the ability and judgement of Mr Whitaker, to be tumbling down with its own weight. No person could have worked better with the materials that were given to him, than the county judge. But the constitution of his court is decidedly bad, and it is not in the power of the judge to remedy the defect. The court at present is nothing more or less than an expedient for emptying the pockets of the people. Jurors are regularly at all events periodically summoned to attend, but there are no cases to try, no fees for lawyers ; the people are getting wise — they will not go to law. But the lawyers are crafty and highly ingenious in Auckland. They see the drift of the people — they take them on another tack. There is a combination between the parties. The jurors are indiscriminately fined, whether their common sense told there was no use in coming to a court, when nothing was done, or whether they attended, it was a'l one. Sheriff officers were sent to the houses of respectable jurors — their furniture arrestcd, &c. Others were dragged in charge of constables, to the court to pay their fines, no matter whether they had been present or not. Affidavits, briefs, &c., are now in consequence plentiful, and the lawyers again live.