THE JUDGES AND POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 960, 29 October 1910, Page 5

THE JUDGES AND POLITICS.

DISCUSSION. IN- THE HOUSE.

During a discussion in the House of Representatives last night, Mr. Massey, Leador, of the . Opposition .. complained that, a number of ordered returns, including'; one relating to • the, extra • pay-, ments: (if any; ; to Judges;,of the Supreme; Court; Magistrates,- etc.; from their salaries and travelling ex- ; penses, - had not • lieeiri -supplied. The Prime'.'Aliuister .said .that : he regretted, that' reference' was continually made to' the Judges in'the-House.' He , know of nothing . connected ■ with • the Judges; which could give rise: to' ; any assumption; of an improper nature. He thought, that: the Judges should be-kept out. of tho tiirmoil of politics. ~ .•' .} . , Mr. 1 ,. Massey : That "is our view. Sir VJoseph : Those who drag■' \ them into ~politics, are: on ..your.: side.: -, ; Mr. Massey You ought to he careful, for we could - recall what happened on. your side a. few years ago. ■ : Mr. ; . Massey,' replying'; later,. said if the Judges were dragged into politics it would not bo the'fault of members of the Opposition.- For himself, (he .had never.'spoken in disrespectful terms of any. member, .of': the judiciary, eithor jnside ;or;:outside;--the <House:/ The ".-fault •wag with-: the .Government.! of the .day, who ■ were; apparently ■. to drag them in, There seemed to be a tendency on the. part of certain Judges to mix up ancl 'interfero,.with .jihe politics.' of, the country. It was a imatter for very , great regret.',' ,He 'would' say no. more on /the subject in the hope .that tho hint'-would be sufficient. •

/The Prime -Minister said that hewas not going. to a suggestion made .that'. :tbe Judges were beingv dragged into politics by 'the - Government; ; As a matter,of fact, the .Government had done,nothing of the kind. The return tinder consideration had . been' moral for by. a member of the: Opposition. -He hoped that we would not get into the. position of ■ having it assumed that: if the Judges exercised their independence—did not do what tho Opposition thought that they should do—they should form • the ; subject of attack in Parliament. If that were so, it would probably react on the institutions of tho country. Personally, he had novcr made any allusion,to a Judge, either inside or outside the House.' The tendency. to .which he hnd referred, was coming from ■ the Opposition. • r '