Wairarapa Daily Times [Established 47 Years.] SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 1922. JUSTICE AND ECONOMY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 48, Issue 14624, 25 March 1922, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established 47 Years.] SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 1922. JUSTICE AND ECONOMY.

In these days -when the strictest economy is being urged by the Government, and everybody is exhorted to conserve their resources and assist in the work of rehabilitation, it seems strange that the Government itself does not make some effort to put into practice that which it preaches. For insance, there is need for economical reform in connection with our Supreme, Court and Magistrate’s Court procedure. In the first place the Grand Jury should be abolished. It is an absolutely useless encumbrance. A Magistrate who hears a case is better able to form an opinion as to whether there is sufficient evidence against an accused for the case to go to the Supreme Court, than a jury of business men, which has certain disjointed evidence placed before them. The existence of the Grand Jury constitutes a grave reflection upon our Magistrates. It is saictgEfiat the Grand Jury is the buffer between tho State and the accused person, but this is so much legal twaddle. Business men and farmers are brought from the Wairarapa Supreme Court District, very often to sit for only a quarter of an hour discussing whether or not a true bill should be brought in. Then again, there should be some method devised for doing away with the hearing of a case in the Lower Court, and its complete repetition in the Higher Court before a jury, and thus prevent a very heavy expense to the country. We have an illustration of this in the burglary case just completed at the Supreme Court. Certain classes of crime should go straight to a Supreme Court, and thus save needless expense. Such procedure may not appeal to the legal fraternity, but it should be adopted in the financial interests of the Dominion.