A.—6,

1881. NEW ZEALAND

LAW PROCEDURE COMMISSION (INTERIM REPORT OF THE).

Presented to both Souses of the General Assembly by Command of Sis Excellency.

The Secretary of the Law Procedure Commission to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary Sir, — Brandon Street, 7th June, 1881. Herewith I have the honor to transmit to you the interim report of the Law Procedure Commission. I have further the honor to request that you will be good enough to lay the same before His Excellency the Governor His Excellency will observe that some of the Commissioners have not signed the interim report; the reason for this is that those who did not sign were, for various reasons, unable to attend at the sittings of the Commission. All those Commissioners who actually attended have signed the report. I have, &c, Martin Chapman, Secretary, Law Procedure Commission. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary.

REPORT. To His Excellency the Governor. We, your Excellency's Commissioners to inquire into the constitution, practice, and procedure of the Supreme Court and other Courts of the colony, and to ascertain by what means the administration of justice therein may be rendered more speedy and efficacious, and generally for the purposes in the said Commission set forth, do respectfully submit to your Excellency the following interim report: — An informal meeting of those of your Commissioners who happened at the time to be present in Wellington was held on the 2nd September, 1880, and, in accordance with a resolution passed thereat, further informal meetings were held at Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, of the members of the Commission resident in or near those towns, for the purpose of receiving suggestions relative to the reforms which are necessary or desirable to be made. The Commission formally met on the 23rd November, 1880, and held seven sittings, at which the resolutions, of which a copy is annexed to this report, were passed, as a basis for the future proceedings of the Commission, though not to be taken as an expression of the general opinion of all the members of the Commission. A copy of the digest referred to in Resolution 1 is also annexed to this report, The Commissioners adjourned on the 30th November, 1880. I—A. 6.