Star Chamber In New Zealand

NZ Truth, Issue 935, 27 October 1923, Page 7

Star Chamber In New Zealand

« Under this heading "Just Justice" writes:r— • .

"Henry VII. and Queen Elizabeth were not above massing wealth by tyrannical exactions, and to that end contrived secret Courts or Star ChairiT 'ber Courts. , These Courts received informations instead" of indictments, m order tp multiply fines and pen^ ajties, and their every action obliquely tended to the emolument of the Exchequer. Blaekston© remarked that these. Courts were armed with 'most dangerous and unconstitutional' powers bver.the .persons and properties of the subject. • : - .•

"Charles I. allowed the Star Chamber Courts extremely wide jurisdiction, though they usurped still greater authority', resulting without a doubt m the Civil War and the slaying of the King.

"We do not want history to hiccup again with such infringements of our liberty, liberty that can be measured only by the depths of oppression. W© dp not want Judges, whether they he the gentlemen who grace the Bench torday pr those who are permitted the use 'of ' J.P. after their ignorant scrawls, to be bereft of the best incentive that can be devised for requiring Justice. That is Publicity, justice must be public. Our forefathers slew one another to secure Publicity for Justice, to open the doors of the Courts, to abolish the Star Chamber. No good Judge will approve of secrecy. It takes away his spur, to best, effort.

"Secrjat Justice becomes Injustice. It Is/ a menace to the. poor, for the rich caii corrupt' Secret Justice arid make it Injustice. Secret Jusse& v i 9 no thore Justlbe than, the' tyrarthy of Charles' I,' was Justice. ~ And' hbuy many "died id savie Us of these days from the curse of the Star Chamber?

"Ifala i leads' tb a burning abuse of our present day ; — the determined efforts of the unscrupulous to wrest from us the liberty of Magna Charta and Petition of Right. If names are suppressed by our Courts (vide the efforts of two Justices of the Peace at New Plymouth) it ia only a short step till the wealthy criminal shall escape publicity and punishment and the poor man alone be heralded m his Wrong- doing.

"There la something so fundamentally dangerous, and unjust, and undemocratic^ about thispower to buppress names that it calls emphatically for a campaign o£j reform. 'Truth' will doubtless assist."