NEW COURT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVII, Issue 21508, 22 November 1939, Page 6

NEW COURT

Workers’ Compensation Mr Justice O’Regan Asked To Preside By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, November 21. An anqpunceraent that a Workers’ Compensation Court is to be established to deal with compensation cases under the Workers’ Compensation Act and also to assist with industrial matters when free to do so. was made this evening by the Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb. The new Court will consist of a judge and two nominated members. The judge of the Court of Arbitration. Mr Justice O’Regan, has been asked to preside over the new Court. This will necessitate the appointment of a new judge to succeed him on the Arbitration Court Bench. “Considerable dissatisfaction has been expressed by employers and workers’ organisations concerning the delays which occur in the hearing of disputes by the Court of Arbitration,” said Mr Webb. “The Court has found it impossible to arrange sittings in various centres as required by Section 78 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act because of the increased volume of work, with a result that some industrial cases referred by Conciliation Councils to the Court have not been finalised for many months. A$ a result of joint representations made to the Government by the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Association and the New Zealand Federation of Labour, provision was made in the Statutes Amendment Bill last session for the establishment of a Court to relieve the Court of Arbitration of some of its work. The Cabinet has decided to establish a new Court to be called the Workers’ Compensation Court. The new Court will consist of three members, a judge and two nominated members, the nominated members to be appointed in the same manner as the nominated members of the Court of Arbitration. Because of his wide knowledge and experience in compensation work, the present Judge of the Court of Arbitration has been asked to preside over the new Court. With the assistance of the Workers’ Compensation Court and the industrial magistrate, all industrial matters should be dealt with expeditiously.”