IMPERIAL APPEALS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 241, 4 July 1908, Page 5

IMPERIAL APPEALS.

PBin COUNCIL, THE JUDICIAL COMMITTEE. STRENGTHENING Tim COLONIAL ELEMENT. (BT TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPIBIfIHT.) (Rec. July 3, 11.15 p.m.) London, July 3. In the House of Lords, the Lord Chancellor (Lord Loreburn) introduced a Bill increasing tho number of colonial members of the Judicial Committee of tho Privy Council to seven, and giving tho Court power to summon as assessors judges or ex-judges from India and the autonomous colonies in appeals from thoso countries. CRITICISM AT THE CONFERENCE. The qnestion of an Imperial Court of Appeal was discussed at the Imperial Conference last year. Tho main grounds of criticism of the Judicial Committee of tho Privy Council hare been delay in dealing with appeals and tho need of closer touch with colonial laws and life. Sir. Deakin favoured the substitution of the the House of Lords Court'of Appeal for tho Privy. Council s or, at any rate, the giving of power to a colony to transfer its appeals to the Lords if it wished. He omphasised ' tho delays of tho Privy Council, and said he was ijuite in the dark 4s to any arrangements having been mado (as previously proposed) for securing a laTger attendance of Lords of Appeal at sittings of the Judicial Committee. The Lord Chancellor (Lord Loroburn) explained with refereuco to Mr. Deakin's • resolution that the Judges of tho Houjb of Lords Appeal Court were all mombevs of the Judicial Committee of tho Privy Council, and aveilahle for servico upon it, together with oertain other members, Judges who had expcrienco in the colonies of all forms of colonial law. He therefore urgrd that it wonld not be a real. advantage, to displ&co tho Judicial Comisitteo of the l'rivy Council.

The object of the present Bill, introduced by Lord Loreburn, is to' strengthen _ the Judicial Committou of the Privy Council; 1 and to remove : t&s . groun<l3 of complaint stated. Under the present law tho number of colonial membors of the Judicial Committee of the' Privy Council must not exes-*] fivo at any one timo; so tho - Bill represents an increase of two. To »>it on the Judicial Committee a oolonial judge must be a member of tho Privy Council, and must be or have been a. Chief Justice, of Judjre of the .. (Supremo Court of Canada or of the autonomous colo'uiei (Newfoundland excluded). The present five colonial mombera are Sir . Samuel»Way (South Australia), Sir H. do Villiers (Cape Colony),- Sir Hy. Strong (Canada), Sir Samuel Griffith (Australia), and Sir H. E. Taichereau (Canada).' ...