GRAND JURY'S PLAINT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18016, 15 February 1922, Page 8

GRAND JURY'S PLAINT.

INFERIOR ACCOMMODATION.

SEATING AND VENTILATION.

JUDGE ENDORSES PROTEST.

"THIRD-RATE PUBLIC HOUSE."

Another protest against the nature of tho accommodation provided for juries in the Supreme Court was made yesterday by the grand jury to Mr. Justice Stringer.

The foreman of the jury, Mr. H. P. Taylor, referred to the previous complaint made regarding the lighting, and said 'he was glad to see that some attempt had been made to remedy this. At the same time, however, a protest was made regarding the accommodation, and nothing had been done. The grand jury had had to endure a great amount of discomfort. Tho Government had not had the common decency, when tho members of tho jury were giving their services gratuitously, to provide them with ordinary decent seating accommodation. The worst feature, however, was the lack of ventilation, there being no means of shading tho aftcmon sun, owing to the blinds being worn out, and in consequence tho members of the jury had been in a lather of perspiration. Mr. Taylor handed the Judge the following presentment: —'"The grand jury respectfully desires to complain to Your Honor of the condition of the ventilation of tho room in which it assembled. The Venetian blinds are in a dilapidated state, there being no means of shading the strong afternoon sun from the room. The grand jury respectfully suggests that steps be taken" to ventilate this room, to renew the blind;, and to provide more comfortable seating accommodation before it is again used bv a jury." His Honor said he would be glad to forward the presentment to the proper authorities, with a strong recommendation from himself that effect be given to it. His own opinion was that if the ancient; institution of the grand jury was to be j maintained the least the Government could do was to provide them with reasonable facilities for carrying out their de- J liberations. Tho present accommodation j was disgraceful, and was not even com-: parable with that found in a third-rate! public house. He could not help thinking that if a very small amount of the money spent in futile commissions were expended on much-needed improvements to t'iie Court it would be much to the benefit of the country. His Honor referred to the pressure of Court business, in consequence of which one Judge had to be condemned to sit in the upstairs courtroony, which in its present condition, was extremely unsuitable. He understood the Minister for Justice would be in Auckland in a few days, and he would take the opportunity of pointing out the position to him.