THE PRIVY COUNCIL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8558, 22 October 1913, Page 6

THE PRIVY COUNCIL

A very high honour has been conferred upon Sir Joshua \\ illiams in his appointment as one of the Dominion representatives on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, and tho honour is shared in by the whole of New Zealand. Sir Joshua will leave as soon as current litigation in which he is concerned as Judge is finally dealt with, and will then take up his new high and important duties in London, where ho was born three-quarters of a century ago. There can be no question that his extensive knowledge and ripe judgment will strengthen the highest Court of Appeal in tho Empire, and that in the particular cases upon which he will be called upon to sit, namely, appeals from the oversea Dominions and Crown colonies, Sir Joshua Williams will be of the greatest assistance. The change in the constitution of the Privy Council which brings this honour to New Zealand, and a New Zealand Judge is effected by recent legislation passed by the Imperial Parliament, and is the outcome' of a resolution submitted to the Imperial Conference of 1911 by Sir Josephl Ward declaring that no Imperial Ap-; peal Court could bo satisfactory unless it included judicial representatves of the oversea Dominions. Sir Joseph Ward pointed out to the Conference that the classes of oases going from New Zealand to tho Privy Council were very frequently connected with native lands, and ho stressed the value of having on the Court a Judge who would be able to interpret, not the na tive law, but rather tho customs of tho natives. “We have felt from time to time,” said Sir Joseph Ward, “that when these important cases relating to land, and vitally affecting the intercuts of both Europeans and natives, are sent to the Privy Council by way of appeal, in tho absence of knowledge of the customs which exist (and it could not be expected to be otherwise), a representative Judge from New Zealand, familiar with the customs of the natives and familiar with tho laws and the difficulties surrounding them, would be of immense advantage to the Privy Council in fully understanding the position before giving judgment. Therefore, speaking for the people of our country, I think it would be a good thing if we had a system of representation by one of our Judges of our Supremo Court upon tho Privy Council.” And Sir John Findlay said that while there had never been the faintest suspicion that the Privy Council had been, wanting either in patience, or in knowledge, or in legal attainment, there could also be no doubt that on various occasions they had entirely misrepresented certain branches of tbe law of New Zealand. These arguments so impressed the Conference that we have as a tangible result the very important appointment of Sir Joshua Williams to the Privy Council.