THE WORK OF THE JUDGES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8603, 9 June 1908, Page 2

THE WORK OF THE JUDGES.

»«. SUGGESTION BY THE WANGANUI BAR. Per Press Associaiion. WANGANUI, June 7. At the Supreme Court on Saturday, the local Bar suggested to Mr Justice Cooper that an extra sitting should be held in Wanganui each year, or the time allotted to each sitting should be extended. It was pointed out that three sittings in a vear were quite insufficient. In reply, His Honor said that the time for circuit sittings in Wanganui, Palin erston North and Napier had been extended during the past five years to a period 'of a fortnight for each sitting, and that a period of six weeks was therefore, occupied by these

sittings. There were three sittings of the Court of Appeal during the vear. and those sittings took on an average a month each sitting. There were three separate, circuit sittings at Blenheim and Nelson, and there were also during the year four sittings for criminal and civil business in Wellington, at which there was always a very considerable amount of business, and, in addition, there was current banco and chamber business in Wellington, which was of a very heavy character. There were at present only two judges in the Wellington district available for this work, and at the present time there was great pressure of business in Wellington, while at Palmerston North at the sittings commencing on Tuesday, there were two criminal cases and fifteen civil cases, five of which were to be tried by juries, and onlv ten days were available for these sittings, the Napier sittings were to commence on Monday, June 22. There were, therefore, in the district usually under taken by the Welling-

ton Judges fifteen circuit sittings'in the year irrespective of the sittings in Wellington City itself. It was difficult to see how four sittings in the vear could be arranged for the circuits of Wanganui, Palmerston North and Napier under the circumstances, but his Honor said he would consult with the Chief Justice and see what could be done to meet the request of the profession, and to cope with the increasing volume of business in the Court. He said that a request had J been received from Mnstert:>n for circuit sittings there, but that tho Judges thought that at present there was no urgent necessity for such sittings. His Honor also said that it bad been proposed in the Judiciary Bill introduced last session to abolish District Courts, but he had no knowledge whether that proposal would be "introduced during the coming session of Parliament, If it were effected, and the business of the District Court was transferred to the Supreme Court, it might result in the necessity for the appointment of additional Judges to cope with the work. He also stated that during the vacation, which commenced on December 20, and concluded on January 31, he had found it'necessary to sit- to the end of the year, excluding only Christmas Dav and Boxing Day, and to also sit in 'the last week of January, and that tho vacation, which was supposed to be for the relief of the kludges, was shortened. He said that during vacation the other Judges had arrears of work in the nature of reserved judgments to prepare, and that this was not a fair position tor the Judges to be in. Imder all these circumstances it was difficult, he said, to see how, with the amount ot judicial power at present available, more circuit sittings could be arranged, and that if there were four circuit sittings at Wanganui it necessarily meant that there would have to be four at Palmerston North, where business was very considerable, and probablv at Napier, although there the business was sometimes not so heavy as at Palmerston North and Wanganui.