WANTED-A JUDGDE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 791, 14 April 1910, Page 5

WANTED-A JUDGDE.

, -POSITION IN CANTERBURY^ :. STATEMENT BY DR: FINDLAY. ' ._ The .complaint' as. to' the arrears of judicial 'iwork in Canterbury, due to the" absence of. Mr. Justice Denriiston on holiday leave, was -brought :under the notice, ofr the Hon. Dr. -Findlay (Minister! for Justice) .by. a Dominion reportor, yesterday?-'' .'.-•"" - ,;■-■' " ■"■ .;■•■: i a s swer >" replied Dr. Findlay, is. that the grounds'of complaint have been very'greatly: exaggerated: ■; Since the_xomplaints ars-made by lawyers, one must assume that they are somewhat at least is the only way that I; can account' for the violence of ■the language used. I have mado special lMmries,.and am- in a position to say :ttat JMtb.: litigants and the profession in 'Uiristohnroh.have been as well off since [Mr v :Jußtice Denniston left New Zealand [■aa.before. It is not correct to 6ay that f» jnaca is, always resident in Wellington j^iChnstchirrch.: In point of fact,'each tot ; the judges-in the four centres is absent, on circuit and Court of Appeal work long as he is in his own femtre. This applies less, probably, to ftte radges in Wellington, and: it certainly 'applies fully to the judge "in Christketarci. ■ Each- centre, therefore,. has to ((offer, some unavoidable inconvenience ] owing; to the. absence of its judge three 'tunes: a year for. thet Court of Appeal Qrangs and "upon the ■ numerous circuits' jirtuch; take'"place from time to time. "Since Mr. Justice Denniston left there : have_ been sittings of the Supreme Court in Christchurch, and the : work, I.am in.formed, .asyfar as "it was ready,' was brought .praotically up to' date quite recently. Frequently delays in : the hearing of-cases is not due to the absence of a. ]udge,at all, but is the fault cither of the litigants or of-the lawyers, who are not ready. I: have just learned from the Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court at .Christchurch that there arc nine Banco and. six other civil cases pending. Some of these will not ho ready lor trial until the May sittings. The whole arrears of which such a, noise has been made would not take more than a week to dispose of. This will be done within the next few days." ■ -.'.■ ■'..-'