Magistrates Find Too Much Court Work

Chronicle (Levin), 7 September 1949, Page 7

Magistrates Find Too Much Court Work

AUCKLAND, Sept. G. Increasing use is being made of Justices of Peace to cope with tlie work of the Magistrate 's Court iu Auckland. The number of cases coining before the Court has steadily inereased and the appearance of Justiees on the Beneh to relieve the burden on the four Magistrates, has become more and more common. To legal eireles the need for a fifth Magistrate has been obvious for^ soine considerable time not only to meet the' Court 's growing demands but also to ensure greater unifofmity in dealing with cases. Last year an average ot four pairs of .Justiees presided at the Court every week. It'-'was a- record year for criminal cases and already the amount of criminal work this year has exceeded the record and the demands made on Justiees of the Peace have eorrespondingly grown. One faetor that has placed heavy demands on the Court is the housing shortage. Nowadays every application for possession of a house is fought to the last ditch. Auckland 's Magistrates are working five days a week at Court and have no time t6 go to the Supreme Court to studv law. .Legal authorities consider it es'sential that thev should not be tied eontinually to Court work tliroughout the week. Apart froni the need for study time, it is considered essential that' they should have relief from Court work in order to avoid mental fatigue. Not only is a fifth Magistrate needed but a replacement may also be needed sliortly for one of the present Magistrates.