ACCESS TO COURTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 82, 3 October 1941, Page 7

ACCESS TO COURTS

TO BE CONSIDERED

PRIME MINISTER'S PROMISE

An undertaking that the Government would go into the question of allowing doctors access to the courts for the recovery of their fees over and above what is allowed in the Social Security Amendment Bill was given by the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) today. | When the two new clauses to the I Bill were being considered in committee the Rt. Hon. J. G- Coates (National, Kaipara) again pointed out that these clauses placed the doctors in a position apart from other sections of the community and appealed to the Government to reconsider the position.

Mr. Fraser said that the Government would certainly give the representations very earnest consideration. If there was any other way of satisfying the public, whose interests were para-n-ount, they would be prepared to consider it. In actual fact the position did not amount to any onerous disadvantage because the doctors as a profession did not favour legal disputes, but if they were dissatisfied the position should be considered. He suggested that the clauses should be passed and undertook to see if a suitable amendment could be brought down in the Legislative Council. In any case he said, after the Bill was passed tie would be quite prepared to discuss other ways with the doctors and would welcome proposals from the doctors for the better framing of the law.