HIGH STANDARD

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 68, 21 March 1931, Page 6

HIGH STANDARD

THE LEGAL PROFESSION

VIEWS OF CHIEF JUSTICE

Ever since the Dominion started as a colony the legal profession had always maintained a very high standard/said Sir Michael Myers (Chief Justice), addressing Wellington law students last evening. Its original leaders, and indeed, all its original members, or most of them, were men who had been, trained in English universities. Many of them had practised at the Bar in the Old Country, ajid they brought with them, as did the Judges who carnc out from England, the best traditions of the profession at Homo.. Those traditions' and ideals had been maintained throughout, and he hoped tho ■ young lawyers coming on would always do their best to maintain them. If they followed in the footsteps of, say, the past generation there -would not b« much wrong with the, profession in 2Ci-w Zealand. "I have spoken of the high standard of the profession in this country," Sir Michael continued. "I would like to illustrate that by my own experience. For 32 years I practised at the Bar in ■Wellington, during the whole of that time in the thick of the fight. .' . . During that period I had,, of courseit was" only to be expected—misunderstandings with other members" of 1h« profession. But never once did I ever have to complain of a breach of- faith. Never once have X known any other member of the profession- have to complain of a. breach of faith by another member of the Bar. I don't know what you m.-iv think jtboiit"thiit, but my viewis that it speaks well for the profession. Thai is (he kind of tradition you young o-entloi-ncn will have lo live up to when, you . iii or I ho profession yourselves"