NO NEW JUDGE YET

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 107, 2 November 1933, Page 10

NO NEW JUDGE YET

WHY THE DELAY?

Under 'the heading, of "Justice in Danger,V the Christchurch "Sun," in an editorial on Monday, comments strongly on the failuic of the Prime Minister to make an announcement regarding the appointment of a mew Judge to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of Mr. Justice Adams. ' " Since the Judicial functions are so important," says "The Sun," "it is disagreeable that there should be any suggestion of 'sweated' labour on the Supreme Court Bench. The Judges are the keystone of the higher part of the Dominion's Judicial system, and they are entitled to respectful and courteous treatment- from the politicians, who .would "bo the first to'com-1 plain if the standard of work _ done by the Judges became less satisfactory than it has been. \ "While it is unpleasant to think that the' politicians might bo putting the whip on the Judges, a more serious | aspect of tho question is the posxi-1 bility of denying justice to Ihose who arc seeking it. Supreme Court business in Christchurch is accumulating; Mr. Juslico Heed cannot deal with it all in n brief sitting, and there is a chance that many of tho cases may not bo heard before tho Christmas vacation. • "Christchurch "is not interested in tho reasons why the Government has delayed' making tho appointment of a resident Judge. What it does know, however, is that the city is entitled to have one, and that tho Government is behaving with peculiar irresponsibility in refusing to make an appointment. The Prime Minister refuses steadfastly to issue a statement on the question, and the time has come when he must be challenged on the point. If he will not make a reasonable explanation of the Government's -attitude within the next few days the public must bo entitled to assume that petty political motives arc being allowed to handicap ,the work of the' Supreme Court BcnJEh. The Government can deny mc'st things to the people if it wishes to do so; but it is intolerable that there should be the slightest danger c? denying speedy justice to those who are seeking it.'^