ADDRESS OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE TO THE GRAND JURY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 2792, 9 January 1873, Page 3

ADDRESS OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE TO THE GRAND JURY.

To the Editor of the Heeaed. Sib, —The remarks of Sir George Arney relative to Justices of the Peaco are moat gratiffing, as evincing sympathy for gentlemen who have been mulct in large sums of money by a few unscrupulous lawyers ; and it is to be hoped that the observations of His Honor may prevent a repetition of speculative actions against magistrates who have acted fairly and honestly, though perhaps not quite in strict legal form. His Honor's hint to Justices to get books is doubtless very good, but I trust I may be pardoned for stating that it is the opinion of all Justices with whom I have spoken on tb.B subject, the downright dishonesty of a few members of the legal profession is the root of the evil. Had Sir George Arney adopted the language of the Lord Chief Justice of England, and intimated that it was the duty of all officors of his Court to reconcile the interests of their clients with the eternal interests of truth and justice, a far greater boonwould have been conferred on the Justices of the province than all the law books of England could supply ; and not on the Justices only, but on tho people generally, who live in dread of the doings cf several rneinbere of the legal profesI sion of Auckland. I beg to add, that in this opinion I am supported by the oldest legal | praeti tioncrs here. As one of the Grand Jury, I quite agree with all said by His Honor, regarding careless writing, interlineations, and erasures in documents sent before the Court, but I regret that His Honor did not include bills of indictment, as I am sure that many of those sent to the foreman of the Grand Jury to decipher would disgrace a school boy of ten years of ago. —I am, &c, Gban'D Jr/808. January 8, 1572.