JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 June 1933, Page 2

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

MINISTER’S PLAN CRITICISED. [pee pbess association.] WELLINGTON, June 9. Legal circles in Wellington do not view with favour the proposal to make more use of Justices of the Peace in Magistrate’s Courts. A leading barristex- said he thought that Justices of the Peace were generally inOompetent to dispense justice. “Amateur judges, I think,” he said, “would form a. real danger in administration of the law. It is impossible for anyone without training to perform judicial duties. Justices should only be resorted to in emergencies.” “In my own experience, I have seen many cases, particularly by-law criminal cases, jvhere a Justice was unable to accept any proposition submitted by defendant, but implicitly to accept everything the police or theix- witnesses, say. As far as penalties are concerned, there is no unanimity through lack of sufficient experience, and as a result the penalties in many cases are greatly ! in excess of what they should be.” A well-known solicitoi- considers that further use of Justices would detract from the dignity of the Bench. He was opposed to the proposal, because only a man properly trailed in law would be able to decide differences. It was manifestly impossible for anyone not cognisant of the canons of law to attempt to dispense justice, comparable with the manner of trained,