“Gloomy Old Courthouses99

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31121, 26 July 1966, Page 1

“Gloomy Old Courthouses 99

(From Our Own Reporter/ WELLINGTON, July 25. Support for strictures concerning “the primitive facilities and gloomy surroundings” of New Zealand’s old courthouses, which were contained in the annual report of the Justice Department, was expressed by the Chief Justice (Sir Richard Wild) in the Supreme Court today. Addressing the jury panel at the Wellington criminal sessions today. Sir Richard Wild said he wished to a few words of explanation of duties and procedure. “I regret that we must keep you standing but, as you see, there is in this Court, as in most throughout the country, inadequate seating. I have drawn the attention of the Minister of Justice to this and I believe it will be remedied,” Sir Richard Wild said. “The buildings and procedures of the courts are dis-

cussed in the recentlypublished annual report of the Department of Justice which, quite rightly, depreciates the primitive facilities and gloomy surroundings of our many old courthouses. Holding Accused “The department might have mentioned specially the deplorable facilities for bolding accused persons in the cells below these buildings. The judges hope that this report presages an imaginative programme of modern building. Certainly it will be no solution simply to add new extensions to outdated buildings. “The report goes on to mention the desirability of witnesses being seated in court and to discuss the standard of dress required of them. “Let it be quite clearly understood that these matters are under the control of the judges and magistrates who are the masters of proceedings in their own courts. It is their concern to see that witnesses are given every courtesy and comfort (so far as the facilities allow) to enable them to be seen and heard, which is the purpose of their being in court. “ Aci.nl experience in all

courts shows that, In fact, most witnesses prefer to stand when giving evidence, but it ought to be known that they are allowed to sit either in or outside the witness box when that course is desirable. Standard Of Dress “As to dress, the only standard required, whether of working or other dress, is the simple one of neatness appropriate to the person and the occasion. The departmental report observes that a court is not a fashion parade. Neither is it a casual gettogether. “It is a court of law where the rights and liberties of citizens are determined and safeguarded. Judges and magistrates rightly require that behaviour generally should conform to that high purpose. “The report also refers to archaic language and ritual and to the desirability of explaining to jurors something of the nature of their duties. 1 spoke of this myself some months ago at the legal conference. “While pointing out that not everything that is ancient is necessarily archaic and that good order requires some formality, that the languf

age of court proceeding! should be plain and apt and accurate. “It was for that reason and because of their awareness of changing times that the judges themselves earlier this year made some changes and appointed two of their number to review the formal parts of criminal procedure. This review is in progress. “It has always been the practice of our judges to ensure that juries understand the proceedings. On their behalf I recently asked the Minister of Justice to have prepared a pamphlet which could be handed to jurors on their being summoned and which would explain their duties and the administrative arrangements made for their convenience. This would be a useful background to the further guidance given by the presiding judge. “I believe that those citizens in various parts of the country who actually see this court in action know that in regard to all matters of courtesy, dress and procedure the judges require no more, and will permit no less, than the standard that the community expects from the courts of justice.”