SITTINGS AT HAWERA

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1934, Page 7

SITTINGS AT HAWERA

“MOST LITIGIOUS COURT” REPLY MADE BY MINISTER. BETTER CONDITIONS IN FUTURE. DISSATISFACTION STILL FELT. Stating that he had not failed to notice that Hawera appeared to be the litigious court in the Taranaki circuit, the Minister of Justice, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, in replying to representations made by the Hawera branch of the Taranaki District Law Society complaining of the arrangements of the magistrate’s sittings at HaWera, considers the fact that Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., the magistrate concerned, has been relieved of Taumarunui sufficient to provide that a greater number of sittings will be held in the future. Complaint was first made by the branch when, as the result of a members’ meeting, Mr. G. J. Bayley, president, wrote to the Minister on October 24. Hte letter, published in the Daily News some time ago, pointed out - that Hawera was formerly in the Wanganui circuit, Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., devoting two days a fortnight for hearing. With the change in magisterial districts, Mr. Woodward had been able to devote only two days a month to Hawera, and the closing of the Manaia Court had further complicated tire amount of business requiring to be transacted. The congestion of cases requiring hearing, amounting practically to a denial of justice to litigants, had reached such a stage that nine defended cases still awaited hearing and adjournments fortnight by fortnight had resulted in great inconvenience being caused to all parties. Mr. Bayley said no complaint was made against Mr. Woodward, who had granted, where possible, additional days to hearings. PLAINTS DECREASE. To that letter, the Minister replied as fdlldws: “During the recent absence abroad of one of the magistrates, it was necessary to require Mr. Woodward to take over the sittings of the Taumarunui court. He has recently been relieved of this and there should, in future, be no difficulty in his satisfactory coping with the work at Hawera. “You may not be aware,” continues the Minister, “that there has been a. most pronounced diminution of the volume of court work at Hawera over the past three dr four years and regular sittings two days a week are not justified. The extent to which the work has fallen off may be gauged from the following list of plaints as the criminal and other work has shrunken proportionately:— 1930, 1570; 1931, 999; 1932, 316; 1933, 664. On November 12, Mr. Bayley replied as follows:—“I note that Mr. Woodward has been relieved of the Taumarunui sitting. This alteration, however, will give him only one extra day a month and it is unlikely that he will be able to devote this day solely to Hawera. “I note the figures quoted for plaints issued at Hawera during the past four years, but I would point out that no particulars of defended actions are given. The figures for these are aS follow: 1920, 20 defended action; 1931, 20; 1932, 13; 1953, 11; 1934, to October 31, 19. Of the 19 defended actions for 1934, 13 are still awaiting hearing and, at the present rite, .these cases alone will take between five And six months to finalise. : “You-, will ’therefore realise"that the fact that Mr. Woodward has been relieved ef . one. day. month , from the Tauiiiaruriui Court is- riot going to allow him to cope with the accumulated cases at Hawera, even if he deVotes to

Hawera the extra day every month.” REPLY BY MINISTER. “When writing my previous letter,” says the Minister in the reply just received, “I had rjqt failed-<td notice that Hawera appeared to be the most litigious court in the Taranaki circuit, and in consequence there■; is-.'■& heavy proportion of defended cases. “Now that Mr. Woodward has been relieved of Taumarunui he will be able to re-allocate his fixtures sb as to devote such additional time as may be required to the Hawera sittings, and he has just recently advised me that he is arranging to do this.” To a reporter, Mr. Bayley said that the., position was still rather unsatisfactory. He pointed out in reference to the Minister’s first letter that sittings two days a week was not what the -snsueiiv"wiied—, Kl zL s ! ax-s < fortnight. t It is probable that the branch wil s further consider the matter.