The Bench and Bar.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1687, 15 July 1875, Page 2

The Bench and Bar.

Proposed Establishment- of a Central Colonial Ceurt-

(SPECIAL TO THE STAR.)

WELLINGTON".

(From our own Correspondent.)

This day. The Times sgain remarks upon tbe status of the bar, and the consolidation of the Supreme Courb at the seat of Government;. It takes the same grounds rs before, viz.. that the system is bad, tint men are frail, and that it ia impossible but that the localisation of a ju ?go in one place must result in his being surrounded with satellites whether he likes it or not, partisans in the press will laud him, members of a servile bar will beslaver him with praise, the more active of his social ring or set will button hole and intrigue in his favour. A judge may surround himself with hi 3 whole family belongings to th:; remotest degree, and this may come to monopolise the bulk of the legal business of his Court quite naturally and innocently enough no doubt, and people see nothing wrong in it because they become accustomed to it, nay, some even cry out through the press for i's continuance, but the administration of justice suffers. Abuses creep in by slow degrees, jealousies and animosities are created, justice is openly intuited in her temple, the judge is bulied en the Bench, or bullies the bar from the Bench, and the pre3S teems with charges and. counter-charges, of which, if only the title be true, the country has reason to blush for miking their recurrence possible. It concludes : " By concentrating the Supreme Court at the seat of Government an immense reform would be effected ; j;idge3 would have the assistance of an educated bar, and of eioh other in doubtful ca<e?, and would moreover be under the wholesome check of a bar opinion. The ordinary legal business of the country would be mire expeditiously and more cheaply conducted thau at present. Attorneys in the provinces would have agents in Wdlinginn to attend to their business without dragging up " counsel" attorneys on special retainers, and the change would be altogether in favour of Buitor3 aud agaiust the legal fraternity, who now blandly pocket their ambidetrial fees and swear by tns existing system ; issues of facb would be tried in the province where the cause of action arose, and there is no reason why for example periodical sittiDga of the Supreme Court should not be held in other centres of population besides those now honored by the presence of the Supreme Court judge. But the practice of making business by protracting litigation for the sake of cost*, could eoe be canied out were the Supreme Court; of the colony concentrated here, as we suggested ; and we need hardly add, by way of finish, that the tone and status of the JSew Zealand Bar would be sensibly improved."