THE CROWN LAW OFFICE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 821, 21 May 1910, Page 10

THE CROWN LAW OFFICE.

FURTHER CHANGE TO BE MADE. ! Speaking to a Dominion reporter yesterday, tho Hon. Dr. Findlay (Minister for Justice) said that at tie meeting of Cabinet on Thursday la-st it was decided to appoint Mr. Thos. Neave, LL.B., barristcr-at-law, Wellington, as ono of the assistant law officers of the Crown. , This appointment, Dr. Findlay remarked, was part of important alterations in the reorganisation of the- Crown Law Office, a reorganisation which was practically complete. Hitherto the work of that office had consisted chiefly of legal advico to the Government and to various Departments of tho public service. The litigation of the Crown, both civil and criminal, and all conveyancing matters in whieli tho Crown was concerned, had been dealt with almost entirely by tho Crown Solicitor and tho Crown Prosecutor in Wellington, and partly by other solicitors. The amount of litigation and conveyancing, as was well known, was very oxteneive, and the expense to tho Government had been correspondingly heavy.

Tho object of the new scheme, he siud, was to havo all legal work of the Crown, both in connection with litigation, conveyancing, and advico to the various public Departments entirely in tho Crown Law OiDco. For the purpose of this work thoro would be- available his own services, for he would, , when time permitted, tako important cases in the law Courts as Attorney-General for tho Crown. There would also bo available tho services of tho SolicitorGeneral, Mr. Salmond, who had already been doing important work for tho Crown; also tho assistant law officers, Mr. Redwood, Mr. Ostler, . and Mr. Neavc. If experience showed that further assistarico was really necessary it would be engaged.

Tho new system, continued Dr. Findlay, would not apply to tho Crown Prosecutors in tho other centres, nor would it to any great extent affect the position of Crown Solicitors in various local centres, who would continue as at present to do the Crown work which was properly local in character. Tho officers of tho Crown Law Offico would, however, do whatever was deemed expedient in the interests of economy, and, where they had timo to do such work, take part in tho moro important litigation, wherever it might arise, in any part of tho Dominion. Tho effective equipment of the Crown Law Office in 'Wellington rendored tho continuance of tho offico of Crown Prosecutor and Crown Solicitor hero unnecessary, since such a continuanco would amount to a duplication of officers, and consequently tha office of Crown Prosecutor and Crown Solicitor in Wellington would bo abolished. Siich statutory ties as must ho discharged by tho Crown Prosecutor hero would bo discharged by one 'or other of tho Crown law officers appointed for that purpose. ,

It might possibly be found, be added, that, during the stress of work which falls upon tlio Crown Law Office during tbo last month of tho Parliamentary session, some (if the local work would roquiro to be given out to outside practitioners. This might possibly bo avoided, but would in any easo bo kept as small in volume as possible, and such work as was given out would be distributed among tlio legal profession in such manner as was most expedient in each particular case. From tlio figures collected showing tlio expense in tlio past under the existing system, and the best estimate of tho cost under the proposed system, it was clear that there would ho a saving of many thousands of pounds per annum.