INSIDIOUS EVIL UNDERMINES FREEDOM

Chronicle (Levin), 10 April 1947, Page 6

INSIDIOUS EVIL UNDERMINES FREEDOM

GOVERNMENT BY REGULATION CONDEMNED WELLINGTON, April 9. " Government by reguiation — ttiis iusidious evil,. vvhich will lllch from us the freedom we enjoy- — underminerj two of the fundamentai rules of Englisli law, the sovereignty of Parliament, and the rule of law," said Mr. A. C. Stephens, . of Dunedin, in an address at the opening of the eonferenee of the New Zealand Law Society today. There was a vast amount of lawmaking by regulations framed by Government departments and made law by Order-in-Council without any real check, Mr. Stephens continued. Sueh regulations were not snbje'eted to the consideration and criticism of representatives of the people, but w'oi-e drafted by or for the use of Government officials for the benelit primarily of tlieir own departments. Under the praetice of ^Government by reguiation, public officials were negativing those two fuudamental safe guards by securing regulations cnabling tlieiri to decide matters affecting the rights of citizens without fair hearing and without any right of appeal, said Mr. Stephens. It was not suggested, he went on, tliat regulations could be done without cntirely, because Government interference in daily affairs was firmly established and sliowed every sign of in creasing, and Parliament could not cope with the immense amount of detail in volved in the prosecution of Government activities on niodern lincs. There wnre, liowever, very serious grounds fpr criticism. Government by reguiation involved cnormous extension of bureaucracy. Growth of new Government departments during the pasi few years had been phenomenal, and most disturbirig. Iieguiations were is sued haphazardly and might overlap or be contradictory, and unfair application would arise if power to malce regula tions fcll into the hands of officials who were politicalry biased or unscrupulous. That could lead to class legislation, biased interpretation of regulations, and even to corruption, Mr. Stephens added. Lawyers from all parts of New Zealand practically fillcd the concerl chamber "in the Town Hall for the society 's iirst eonferenee for nine years. Mr. P. B. Cooke, K.C., presidenx of the society, presided over the busi ness of the eonferenee which will conLinuo tomorrow morning and afternoon A ball will be held tlris oveniug and tomorrow evening there will be a dinner.