LAW STUDIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23019, 22 April 1938, Page 11

LAW STUDIES

UNIVERSITY SYLLABUS CRITICISM BY PROFESSION UNDUE NUMBER OF SUBJECTS [by TF.r.KGItAPH —OWN COIIRKSPOXDRNT] CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday The new syllabus for students taking; the bachelor of laws course, as prescribed by the University of New Zealand, was criticised by Mr. W. ]). Campbell, speaking at the annual conference of the New Zealand Law Society. Too many subjects were included in the new course, he said, and be suggested that some of the compulsory cultural subjects should be made optional Mr. Campbell considered that the new requirements embraced an undue number of subjects, IS in all, and this asked too much of the student, who at the same time had to do his practical training in a legal office. He supported academic training to some extent, he said, but it was only the beginning of the foundation of the law student's career. An excessive number of subjects was now required lor a five years' course. Five were purely cultural subjects and three of them were compulsory. Insufficient time was allowed for any deepseated study of Latin and .Roman law, each of which should be removed from the compulsory class and placed in the optional list. Mr. Campbell doubted if the option would be exercised. The speaker said he would also exclude from the pass degree conflict of laws and international law. Logic should be placed in the former course, as training in this subject would cultivate the reasoning faculties. English, for the proper expression of the result of that reasoning, should bo allied with it as a compulsory subject. Ho also criticised the order in which the various subjects were to be studied. Mr. Campbell's motion, suggesting that the New Zealand Law Society consider the new syllabus published in the New Zealand University Calendar for 1938, was carried.