Compatibility of laws wrged

Press, 13 October 1983, Page 14

Compatibility of laws wrged

PA Wellington New Zealand and Australia should move to make their laws, particularly

commercial law, as complementary as possible, says the Minister of Justice, Mr McLay. It was in the interests of both countries that, as far as possible, the legal systems were at least compatible, he said in an address to the Australasian law firms’ dinner in Auckland. Since the closer economic relationship it had become even more important in the area of commercial law. The notion of a commercial court or some other specialist court to deal specifically with problems of C.E.R. trade and to nro-

vide uniform interpretation of C.E.R.-inspired laws did seem attractive, he said.

The establishment and running of such a court would create constitutional difficulties in Australia, and he suspected there would also be problems in New Zealand. “Nonetheless, I personally have no philosphical or conceptual objection to the basic idea of a Tasman commercial court or a specialised C.E.R. tribunal,” Mr McLay said. “I can see many practical advantages that would flow to those people — specifically the traders — on whom the ultimate success of C.E.R. will denend.”