THE RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 53, 27 January 1880, Page 3

THE RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

To the Editor. Sib, —l have not hitherto taken part in the correspondence on the above subject, nor should I he doing so now but for the letter signed “ Justice,” which appeared in your last issue. “Justice ”is attempt ing to play the old trick of drawing a red herring across the scent. As a professional man I cordially concur with the efforts now being made to imnrove the administration of justice in this district; for transactions hare occurred in connection with the internal economy of both the Resident Magistrate’s and District Courts, during the last few months, which certainly deserve investigation, although I can quite understand that “ Justice ” may have reasons of his own for stifling such an enquiry, and for beslobbering the court officials. It is, however, of the utmost importance for the public interests that the business of our Courts should be purely and accurately administered by competent and impartial officers, and that the fullest confidence should prevail in this respect. I may observe that mistakes made in the Courts, are by no means, necessarily disadvantageous to the legal profession, inasmuch as they tend to promote litigation, but the suitors have to pay for them, and respectable solicitors do not cai’e about encouraging practice of this kind. The black sheep of the profession doubtless view the matter in a different light. I believe you went to the loot of the evil the other day when you observed that the late Government, in making the changes which they did, failed to appreciate the importance of Ashburton as a judicial centre.—Yours, Ac., A Solicitor. Ashburton, 2Gth January, 1880.