TALKATIVE LAWYERS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 143, 14 December 1933, Page 11

TALKATIVE LAWYERS

REMEDY IN WRITING

The merits and demerits of the practice of counsel in. submitting argument to the Court in writing was commented on by Mr. Ju'stico Blair at the Supreme Court today. It was suggested that counsel might address written argument to Mr. Justico Ostler, who is at present in Christchurch, with a view to getting a case, already jiar.t-heard by him, finalised as ;:oon as possible. Mr. Justico Blair said' that ho did riot know that Mr. Justice Ostler would care to have written argument submitted. The difficulty about a written argument was that one could not ■ ask questions with a view to clearing up obscure points. At the present time Mr. Justice Blair liad two written arguments under consideration, and they were occupying a considerable amount of his time, as there wore one or two matters which ho Wished to have elucidated. "Written arguments,',' said his Honour, "are very handy if you have a man who talks too much. If he has to write his argument it sometimes quietens him down a bit."