Anomalies in Administration of British Law.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 6, 10 February 1909, Page 9

Anomalies in Administration of British Law.

Public attention has lately been directed to the recently created Court of Criminal Appeal. It, might with advantage be also directed to some anomalies still to be found in the administration of the criminal law. Take first the Police. Courts. Theeo Courts, in provincial towns, arc, in most eases, presided over by magistrates whose legal qualifications are absolutely nil, and whose qualifications. in ether respects are often, exceedingly doubtful. Some of these magistrates may be highly educated men.; others are certainly not. I •remember a chief magistrate who, among other peculiarities, spoke of the Ecumenical Council, of the Roman Catholic Church as the "Economical” Uonncil; described certain property as being “contagious” to his house; spelt magi.«tiia;t<> “majeeti’ate”; said tiiat somebody had correctly “forershadowed” his- past life, and announced' at a meeting that ho stood as much upon his infra dig. as any man in the borough in which, he resided. I remember another chief magistrate who, on a prisoner being brought before him, turned to a brother magistrate and said: “Where is the other man?” "There is no other man,” was the reply. "Oh, yes, there is,” he said. 'Look at the charge sheet,‘Smith, alias Jones.’” These men were very worthy citizens, who had been made magistrates because they had made money. There is, however no connection whatever between the money-mak-inig faculty and the judicial mind, and to treat wealth as a qualification for judicial office is calculated to bring the administration of justice into: contempt. “ ’Tis money, money, this alone is merit;] AVithout it, virtue is a useless toy. Money proclaims the knave a man of honour; Money alone can make a dunce a Judge.” But though in most provincial boroughs magistrates are without legal training, there are other boroughs whera a stipendiary magistrate is appointed. He has been a practising barrioter, and, as the name implies, receives a salary. If we turn to the metropolis, we find an equally anomalous state of things. Somo of the magistrates are lawyers, others are not. It may be eaid that the system works well. But if a merchant ean administer justice gratis at the Mammon House, or the Guildhall, what is the need of a trained lawyer with a substantial salary at Westminster or Bow -treet?— Letter in "London Standard.”