LACK OF JUDGES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2927, 20 April 1910, Page 37

LACK OF JUDGES.

THE CHRISTCHURCH COMPLAINT. DR FINDLAY'S REPLY. The complaint as to the arrears of judicial work in Canterbury, due to the absence of Mr Justice Denniston on holiday leave, was brought under the notice of the Hon. Dr Findlay (Minister of • Justice) by a Dominion reporter on Wednesday. "'My answer," replied Dr Findlay, " is that the grounds of complaint have been very greatly exaggerated. Sinoa the complaints are made by lawyers one must assume that they are somewhat forensic — that at least is the only way that I can account for the violence of the language used. I have made special inquiries, and am in a position to say that both litigants and the profession in Christchurch have been as well off since Mr Justice Denniston left New Zealand as before. It is not correct to say that a judge is always resident in Wellington and Christchurch. In point of fact, each of the judges in the four centres is absent on circuit and Court of Appeal work for about as long as he is in b»s own centre. This applies less, probably, to the judges in Wellington, and it certainly applies fully to the judge in Christchurch. Each centre, therefore, has to suffer some unavoidable inconvenience owing to the absence of its judge three times a year for the Court of Aprjeal sittings ajtid upon the numerous circuits which take" place from time to time. " Since Mr Justice Denniston left there have been sittings of the Supreme Court in Christchurch, and the work, I am in-

formed, as far as ifc was ready, was brought' practically up to date quite recently. Frequently., delays in the of cases is not due- to the absence of a judge at all, but is the fault either of the litigants or of the lawyers, who- are not I have just learned from the deputy registrar of the Supreme Court at .*Christchurch that there are nine Banco and six other civil ea&js pending. Some cf these will not be . ready for trial until the May sittings. The ' wholo arrears of vhioh such a noise has

been made would not take more than a week to dispose of.- This will be done within the next few days."