MAGISTRATE COMPLAINS OF COURT'S ACOUSTICS

Chronicle (Levin), 9 January 1947, Page 4

MAGISTRATE COMPLAINS OF COURT'S ACOUSTICS

mrncroi.Tr expekienoed i» . . heae1n j witnesses ' * ( Comment on the poor acoustics of the Magistrate's Cou rt at Auckland and the difficulty of hearing evidence as it was* given by witnesses was again made by Mr. J. H« Luxford, S.M., dn Monday, when he was obliged to ask the Court .orderly to repeat. the evidence as it was given by a woman witness. - Mr. Luxford and other magistrates on the Bench have frequently iriade reference to the" disturbance creal ed by noises of traffie,and, al though it has been frequently suggested that something should be done to. minimise the intefruptions, nothing has been done. There are three courtrooms generally inTise in the Gotrrt buildings, which are situated on the eorner of» Kitchener Street and Coiirthouse Lane, both of which roads carry heavy vefficular traffie. In the niain courtroom, which is^ parallel to Oourthouse Lane, the aeoustics are particularly poor. With its high walls, brokon .on one side by windows facing the lane, the room echoes coutinually and voices fail to carry. With the windows open, the noise of heavy traffie engines changing gear and of.horns sounding creates a constant annoyance and all conv'ersation frequently has to -be suspended. If a witness happens to have a quiet voice the magistrate, sitting only a few feet away, has to ask him lo speak up, and' from the press bem-hes, a matter of only a few yards, it is often imposslble to liear what is bekig said. Upstairs, two other courtrooms are also aJIeefed by traffie noises, but' the difficulty of hearing is somewhat reduc.ed owing to the fact that both' are much smaller than the main courtroom. Mr. Luxford said that conditions were beeoming impossible and suggested that witnesses with weak voices might be. assisted With amplifiers if they were installed. At other times he has advocated making the main courtroom as soundproof as possible. It is understood that the Department of Justiee has received reports on the positi'on and it has been found that work in making the room soundproof could be_ done and the cost would be in the vieiiiity of £700. The posit.ion is not as aeute in the Supreme Court, where the buildings are set in thqir own grounds, a little dis-* tance from busy streets. Judges and counsel. frequently ask witnesses to speak up in the downstairs courtroom, or warn them of the difficulty of hearing before they eommence giving evidence. Upstairs the room is smaller, but the same problem arises to a Iesser degree. When the Supreme' Court buildings were renovated some years ago the walls of tlie downstairs courtroom were partially lined, with the result that echoes were somewhat reduced.