SHORTAGE OF JUDGES

Chronicle (Levin), 11 February 1947, Page 3

SHORTAGE OF JUDGES

CHRLSTCHLTtCH, Feb. 10. ' Altliough he had asked for new appnint miMits and mulorst.ood tliat a I i'in poi ary .|ulgu nould bo a[>]iointcd | almo.sl imniodiately, (ho posilion would arisc by tlio o/id of Febnntry of liaviug i only oue, o r at mosf two, judges to dcai j with the sittings in- Auckland, Wellingj tou and Flirist* liurcli, said ihe Chief j rlu.stice addros.-ung coun.sel in Ihe I SuprtMiie Cotirt lliis morning. llis Jionour said thal lie underslood lixtures had been made in ( 'hristchuivh not only for jury cases up lill tlie end of February but also judge alone cases froni Vlarch to the end of April. It might, therel'ore, lie inipossible to provide for the Christchurch .sittings in VI arch. I "Tiiere is not available at present | the statutory uuinber oi judges i'or the i Supreuie Court work,'-' lie conlinued. j ' ' V 1 r. Justice Northcrol't is absent in Japan and since .xovember Vlr. .Justice JBlair has been engaged on the Onekaka j case and will be so engaged for sonie j little liiue dealing with points of law j and in conference with the assessors. J "Jt has been a inatter of great coueern to ino lo arrange Ihe circuits. ; Since niy ap])oiiitnient J have drawn the j attenlion of the authoiilies to the position and ask-ed for appointments. I | undcrstand thal a temporary appoint- ' nienl will lie made ahuost innnediately. j This, however, will only partly lielp. Al the end oi tliis inonth iive judges , will be wanted for the Court of Appeal. j VI r. Justice Kennedy will take the sitj tings in the West Coast and at Nelson j and wilJ tlicn go back to Dunedin and Invercargill. This will leave two permanent and one teuijjorary judge for Ihe whole of New Zealand, but Vlr. Justice Fiulay is oNpected to go on ! with the Oaniing Cominission, leaving j two judges for Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. ' ''I cannol see liow the Cominission i will be uble Lo go on in Vlarch and the work of the judiciary atteuded to at; the siime tinie because the position is furlher complicated by the eleetoral petition for Raglan which is due in Vlan-.h and will retpiiro two judges. Jt, therel'ore, seeius lo ino to 1)0 inipossible even if an additional judge is appointed to have a judge for Christchurch in Vlarch. The present outlook is not good and eounsel lnust assunie that it will be inipossible or very ditlicult to take the cases set down for Vlarch.