PRIVY COUNCIL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 21 November 1928, Page 2

PRIVY COUNCIL

ADDITIONAL MEMBERS FOR JUDICIAL COMMITTEE

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright Australian l'rcsn Association.—United Hervioo.

(Received 21st November, 12.55 p.m.) BON DON, 20th November. In the House of Commons, Sir Thomas Inskip (Con.) moved the appointment of two additional members of the Judicial Committee of the Privv Council at a salary of £4OOO and a pension of £IOOO, and an additional Judge of the Appeal Court with a salary of £6OOO and a pension of £3750. He pointed out that Lord Haldane had shortened his life through overwork on the Judicial Committee. Sir Henry Slesscr (Lab.) asked: Would Lord Birkenhead claim from the .Lord Chancellor a pension of £SOOO, seeing that he did nut propose to serve on the Judicial Committee? Sir Thomas Inskip replied that Lord Birkenhead informed him that ho would shortly undertake new employment with substantial emoluments, and proposed to claim the pension oidy for the transition jieriod. Nevertheless, Lord Birkenhead's view was that tho pension was for past, not present legal services. Sir Hamar Greenwood (Constitutionalist) said that the Judicial Committee was the strongest link of Empire and needed to be strengthened. The Canadian view was that we ought not to depend on aged jurists, wdio, however eminent in their prime, no longer impressed litigants and counsel from the dominions and colonies. .Mr Wedgewood Benn asked how many directorships Lord Birkenhead would need before relinquishing his pension. Could he reclaim the pension if his commercial ventures came to nothing? Sir Thomas Inskip: "Certainly.'' The resolution was carried without division.