AUCKLAND LAW SOCIETY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11878, 1 February 1902, Page 6

AUCKLAND LAW SOCIETY.

In one of the rooms of tho Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon the members of the Auckland Law. Society held their annual meeting, there being a moderately large attendance present. The chair was occupied by Mr. Hugh Campbell, president of the society. Tho report covering. the past year, •which was read by the secretary (Mr. H. T. Maclean)/; was considered to be a very satis- ; .factory : one. It J stated that a New Zealand law list had been printed recently under ' the' direction of the New Zealand Law Society, which had proved of great use to the profession generally. The following matters have been referred to the New Zealand Law Society as ones which affect the whole profession:— The effect of an order made under section 24 of the Destitute Persons Act, 1894, i if filed in the Supreme Court by direction of the Magistrate making the order, as a charge t on land, and the difficulty of ascertaining if such' an order has been filed, without a search in every Supreme Court office in the . colony.- A short amending Act has been drafted by the New Zealand Society and forwarded to the Minister for Justice, providing for the duplicate order being filed with the district land registrar. It is hoped that this will be made law next session. 2. The inconvenience caused by Acts coming into force so soon after the close of ; the session that . practitioners are unable .to obtain copies of the " statutes until some considerable time after they are in force. This was especially noticeable with regard to the statutes of v 1901. >3. : Rules with regard to the notice to be given by persons applying to be admitted v were gazetted at the beginning of the year, ■but took no notice of rules previously gazetted on the same subject, the attention of the Judges has been called to this matter, and ' the earlier rules have . been regazetted. 4. No provi "on is made in the code of civil procedure for the perpetuation of testimony as there is in the English Judicature Act. This matter has also . been brought to the ' notice of the Judges, and rules are in preparation to deal with the matter. A good deal of correspondence had taken place during the year with various Government Departments with, regard to the inconvenience of having to send probates and letters of administration to Wellington before moneys duo could be obtained by those entitled to them from' Government oftices. The matter was finally, referred to a sub-committee of two to report on. The question of reciprocity of admission of practitioners in the different colonies was also referred to a sub-cornmitto, but no report has as yet .been received. A : resolution was passed some time ago 'by the council ; and : forwarded to the Minister for Justice and the other law societies, " That the salaries paid at present to the Judges of the Supreme Court are insufficient and not on a par • with those paid in other colonies. ' A similar resolution has also been passed by the other law societies in New aland. A letter had been received from tho Auckland < Chamber of Commerce complaining of the delay caused in serving summonses in the Magistrate Court, owing to all summonses having. to be served by the officer of the Court. From comumnications received from the other centres it appeared that this was not the practice whore except in Auckland, and possibly if it was pointed out to the proper authorities the matter would be remedied by allowing solicitors or parties to serve the summonses if they should wish to do so. Office-bearers for the current year were elected as follows:—President, Mr. T. Cotter; vice-president, Mr. F. Earl; council. Messrs. Hugh Cnmnbell, C. Button, C. E. S. Gillies. S. Heskcth, C. J. Parr, C. E. Purchas. and J. W. Stewart; treasurer Mr. J. W. Stewart; auditor. -Mr. C. E. S. Gillies! The meeting terminated with a hearty vote of thanks to the retiring! president.