FINAL APPEAL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7869, 3 August 1911, Page 7

FINAL APPEAL

EMPIRE APPELLATE COURT

BILL BEFORE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright,

(Received August 2, 9.20 p.m.) LONDON, August 2

The Appellate Jurisdiction Bill, strengthening the court in the direction agreed at tho Imperial Conference, lias been read a second time in the House of Lords.

Lord Haldane said that the problem of how to place the appellate jurisdiction of the Empire would never be adequately solved until there was a real Supreme Court of Appeal for tho Empire. The speakers in the recent debates bad expressed tho view that there was no reason why Law Lords should sit in. that House, but until its constitution was dealt with, a convenient opportunity would not be offered for their separation. In the meantime they should be content to lay tho foundation of what would be virtually a single court for the whole Empire.

Lord Courtney declared that, while due deference must be paid to the conclusions of the 'lmperial' Conference, he was not persuaded that incurring unnecessary expenditure by appointing two extra judges solved tho colonial problem. The Marquis of Salisbury said that it was most important that the advice of the conference should be followed, and complimented the Government upon its early action in the matter.

Durlng til© discussion o-t the Imperial Conference on the question of an Imperial Court of Appeal, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Loreburn, said that his own idea was that they should add to tho Highest Court of Appeal two English judges of tho finest quality, fixing the quorum at five, that the court should sit successively in the Houso of Lords for the United Kingdom, and in tho Privy Council for the Dominions. They would thus have the same court in full strength for both classes of appeals.

After some discussion, the Commonwealth Premier, Hr Fisher, withdrew a motion affirming that judicial representatives of the Dominions should be included in the Imperial Qfourt of Appeal, apd substituted one recommending embodying tho Government's proposals in a communication to be sent to the Dominions at the earliest date. This was agreed to.

Presumably the Bill which has been read a second time by the Lards is intended to carry out tho suggestions of lord Lorcbum.