DISTRICT COURTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 502, 8 May 1909, Page 6

DISTRICT COURTS.

SHALL THEY BE ABOLISHED? STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER FOR . JUSTICE. Newspapers in Greymouth and other centres on the West Coast havo been protesting strongly against the discontinuance of the sittings of tho District Court in that part of the Dominion. They suggest that the Government is acting .unconstitutionally in the matter, and that the change will mean greater oost to litigants and to the country, with inconvenience to all ooncernod. Tho Hon. Dr. Findlay, Minister for Justice, when interviewed yesterday, said the objections must be based upon.a misapprehension as to what the Government , intended to do. In plaoe of the District Court sittings, the Government would arrange for sittings of the Supreme Court in Westport, Greymouth, ' and Hokitika as often as the work to be done required. Under.the new arrangement, which no as Minister for Justice would.no doubt be able. to make with the Judges, the Supreme Court sittings would take place in different parts of the West Coast four, or -perhaps tivo, times a year. At these sittings the Court would do all.the present Supreme Court-work, which was often considerable, and also the small amount of District, Court work which was now done by an independent District Court. "The District Courts Act," continued the Minister, "gives power to abolish District Court districts, and upon, the abolition of. a district all proceedings pending in tie Court of that district may bo oontanned in any Court the Judge of which has jurisdiction in any area comprised in the district so abolished. The purpose of the Government is not to reduce in any way the judicial facilities of the districts affected by the abolition of the District .Court districts, butto increase the, facilities and improve their efficiency. ~ The only objections. to tflie course taken that have reached us from any part of Now Zealand ore from the West Coast of the South Island. I notice that some papers in districts which are affected, the Gore I 'Standard, are vory much in favour i of\ the'.-dhange." Tho Minister quoted a return which he had had prepared, showing the work of tho .District Court on the -West Coast. . It ivas as follows':— ' 'Westport—l9o7: Ono civil case, six criminal ..cases; 1908,., six .criminal', cases. Greymouthrrl9o7, five: criminal;.l9oß, two civjl and. three orirainal. Reefton—l9o7, no cases of . any kind; 1908,, two civil cases. Hokitika—l9o7, no cases; 1908, two civil cases. . Kumara—l9o7,. no cases; 1908, two civil cases:"' • . "This,?' resumed the Minister, 'Hs entirely: inadequate to ; justify the.. existence of a separate .independent tribunal,'; in. addition to the Magistrate's Courts and the Supreme Court. As to the cost, it must be remembered . that a Judge of the. District Court has to go to the West Coast, specially, four times a year. Moreover; every lawyer is aware that tho' District. Court procedure is antiquated, .and clumsy. It was created at a time when legal , complexity was the chief I characteristic of our judicial system. In its day the District Court has done good work, but every one who; has looked at the work of the District Court impartially during the past ten .or fifteen years, has been; increasingly impressed with the necessity of abolishing. it altogether. ,1 have figures collected to show, the.' total work done' by the District, Courts.' for the whole' of the Dominion, and ' these, apart from any othor reasons,' ; completely justify the course ■ the Government is taking." /