APPEAL COURT SESSION

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 1 February 1933, Page 4

APPEAL COURT SESSION

SPECIAL SITTING POWERS. BILL PASSES UPPER HOUSE. (By Tel#>eraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 31. Moving the second reading of the Judicature Amendment Bill in the Legislative Council to-day, Sir James Parr said the measure was designed to give power by Order-in-Council to set up special sittings of the Court of Appeal. He moved for urgency for the Bill as it was desired to set up a special Court immediately to hear the appeal of Tarrant against his conviction for murder. Sir Francis Bell recognised the urgency of the Bill; otherwise he would have asked for fuller consideration of the provision empowering the. Governor-or-General by Order-m-Council to fix a sitting on the certificate of the Chief Justice alone. ‘The general practice was to fix a sitting on the certificate of three judges of whom one was the Chief Justice. The Bill was a departure from English law as well as from New Zealand law. Sir James said the Bill applied only to special sittings of the Appeal Court. The Bill was put through all stages and passed and the Council rose at 2.55 ii.in. until Friday.