NEW JUDGESHIP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23352, 18 November 1937, Page 12

NEW JUDGESHIP

SECOND ARBITRATION COURT OFFER TO MR W. J. HUNTER CHANGE OF PROCEDURE (From Our Parliamentary Reporter’ WELLINGTON, Nov. 17. The Government has asked Mr W. J, Hunter, a well-known Christchurch barrister and solicitor who lias specialised in industrial cases, whether he will accept office as president of the second Arbitration Court to be set up under the amendment to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, which was recently passed by Parliament. This decision was confirmed to-day by the Minister of Justice (Mr H. G. R. Mason), who said that the Government'was now awaiting Mr Hunter’s reply to the invitation.

The legislation passed last week provided for the appointment of a second Arbitration Court judge from the ranks of Supreme Court judges

and, if necessary, for the temporary appointment of an additional Supreme Court judge. The course now being followed involves an alteration in this procedure. Reasqps for Change The change is based partly on the uncertainty felt as to the adequacy of an arrangement made for one year only and partly on recognition of the fact that the work of the Arbitration Court is of a specialised character. It is held to be desirable that a judge of the Arbitration Court should have the same status as a judge of the Supreme Court, but by reason of the different nature of the work it is not regarded as expedient in general that judges should be transferred from one court to the other. If Mr Hunter accepts the appointment offered to him, it is understood that his work will lie definitely in the Arbitration Court. It has long been doubted whether one judge could cope with all the work of the Arbitration Court, but when the existing pressure of work in industrial cases has been overcome it is expected that one or other of the Arbitration Court judges may be able to assist in work of such judicial or semi-judicial nature as the hearing of appeals in respect of pensions and the like. Mr Hunter’s Qualifications Mr Hunter is described in parliamentary circles as a man particularly well qualified to preside over the second Arbitration Court, as he has had extensive experience in industrial cases. When Mr Hunter’s appointment is confirmed, it is more than probable that a minor amendment will have to be made to the Act providing for the establishment of a second court. This will arise from the fact that the Government has decided to go outside the ranks of the present Supreme Court judges in making its selection for the office. The two lay members of the second court have also to be appointed by the Minister of Labour (Mr H. T, Armstrong), who intimated last week that he would ask the organisations of the workers and the employers for their recommendations. These appointements are to be made as soon as possible, so that the second court will be able to function without undue delay.

MR HUNTER’S CAREER (Per United Pres? Association* CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 17. Mr William John Hunter, LL.B,, is the senior partner in the legal firm of Hunter and Ronaldson, established in Christchurch in 1882, and is chairman of the City No. 1 Mortgage Adjustment Commission. He is also New Zealand commissioner for affidavits in the High Court of Australia and the Australian States. He is the second son of Mr Thomas Hunter, of Elio, Fifeshtre, Scotland, who arrived in New Zealand in the early seventies Mr Hunter entered at an early age upon a five years’ course of training for the teaching profession under the North Canterbury Education Board. Before entering the legal profession he was assistant master of the Hastings District High School and headmaster of the Mangapapa School, Gisborne. lie qualified for the legal profession, and practised for a short time at Levin. He was common law assistant to the firm of Kippenberger and Franks, in Christchurch, in 1907, and six years later was admitted as a partner. On the retirement of Mr Franks in 1915 Mr Hunter became senior partner, and admitted into partnership Mr Eric Lyon, who was killed in action in France. Mr R. L. Ronaldson was admitted to the firm as a partner in 1924, and the firm has since been known by the name of Hunter and Ronaldson. Mr Hunter was a Macmillan Brown prize-winner at the New Zealand University, and was a law lecturer at Canterbury University College in 1922. In 1930 and 1931 he was examiner in law contracts for the New Zealand .University. He is a former president of the Canterbury District Law Society, and was secretary of the first New Zealand Legal Conference in 1928.