THE MAGISTRACY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3097, 23 July 1913, Page 38

THE MAGISTRACY.

AN AMENDING MEASURE. (Fsou Uuu Own Cohekspondesi.) WELLINGTON, July 17. The Magistrate’s Courts Act Amendment Bill (the Hon. A. L. Ilerdman), which was circulated to-day, is an amending measure which raises and extends the scope of the Magistrate’s Court, and awards the magistrates increased and standardised salaries. It is provided that hereafter no person shall be appointed a magistrate who is not a barrister or solicitor of the Supreme Court of not loss than live years standing. This is a slight change from the 1903 Act, by clause seven of which the Governor could appoint any " lit and proper person to exercise the ordinary jurisdiction of the court, while those exercising the extended jurisdiction were required to be either barristers or solicitors of live years’ standing, or to have been magistrates! under the 1893 Act for live years. 1c is further provided that from the passing of the -Vet every magistrate shall receive £709 per year, while the principal magistrates in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin will receive £BOO per year These provisions are not to reduce the existing salaries of any magistrates. The civil jurisdiction of the court is enlarged so as to include power to deal with claims not exceeding £209 (£ ICO in the present Act) for breach of contract, tort, debt, partnership, accounts, attachment of debt, and the enforcement of claims upon and recovery of possession of some specific movable prouertv ol a value not exceeding £2OO. A number of minor amendments arc included in the measure, which also provides that the Governor may appoint a magistrate in the Chatham Islands to exerci.-e such civil and criminal jurisdiction as he dip ct.s. The salary of this magistrate ishud he 1 ix< <1 by Parliament.