TWO MORE JUDGES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 8 October 1913, Page 5

TWO MORE JUDGES.

GOVERNMENT'S IMPORTANT PRO-

POSALS

[By Telegraph—fcp«ciAf, to Stau.] WELLINGTON, Oct. 7. An amendment of the Judicature Act was introduced by the Government ,to-day, mainly with the object of relieving the heavy pressure upon the Couj-t of Appeal by dividing it into two divisions, each consisting of the Chief Justice and four other Judges. One division of the Court will take the cases set down for hearing at one sitting of the Court, and the other division will take the cases set down for the following sitting. Then No. 1 division will take .the next sitting and so on. Thus when the Court of Appeal is sitting the current Supreme Court work of the country will be undertaken by the Judges who are not attending the Court of Appeal. The Minister of Justice explained to the House that the measure was an important one. It endeavored to provide for the appointment of two additional judges for a permanent Court of Appeal, and that the Court of Appeal should be split tip into two parts —an arrangement which would result in the release of some of the judges, so that when the Court of Appeal was sitting the normal flow of business at the Supreme Court would not be interrupted. ■ There would be no increase in salaries, and the Bill would be referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The salaries of the eight Judges are fixed at £1800, while that of the Chief Justice is at £2000. There is no change in this respect, but two new Judges will need to be appointed.