AN IMPERIAL COURT OF APPEAL

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1001, 16 December 1910, Page 6

AN IMPERIAL COURT OF APPEAL

EEMAKKSBY LOUD ISLINGTON AND JUDGE COOPEfi. The question of tin Imperial Court. ot Appeal, which is now again to the fore ia cmiieeticn with the coming Imperial Con-' fercnce, was the subject cf interesting ferences by his Excellency the Governor , and by his Honour Mr. Justice Cooper ax the law students' dinner last night. ' Lord Islington -:aicl he believed hisheaj*. ers worn all 'looking forward with interest to tho coniing Imperial Conference, and with the hope that some practical suggestions would be made to further tUn cause of Imperial unity. There would bo a discussion as" to. the possibility of fur. Uier devclopiug the final Court of Appeal ot the Empire—the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council—which was probably the finest legal tribunal 01 tin world.. (Applause.) As the Empire developed the great questions with which that body had to deal must increase in corresponding degree, ft was to be licp&l that means would bo found of expanding that tribunal so that it would become iij essenss and in fact a Court of Appeal tiuly representative of ihe Umpire as g whole—a Court to which questions of Ira. pirial importance would fce referred foi final decision. There were great difiicut ties to be overcome in this matter, liut ij the change lie had spoken uf could be ef< fected it would be not only a "rcat ad< vance in legal development within thj Empire, but an important stride toward! organic Imperial unity. (Applause.) Mr. Justice Cooper, speaking soon V l ' forwards, said lie thought the right o{:■ appeal from our own Court of Appeal ta the. Judicial Committee of the Privy Couo. cil should remain. Tho formation of on Imperial Court of Appeal had been sug. gested by Sir • Frederick X'ollock ' fronj whom he (the speaker) received on inter, estiug communication on the subjcct somO timo ago.. Such a Court would be th« highest tribunal that could be establish ed There were certainly difficulties iij d:ho. way, and they could not hope to saa a New Zealand judge at present a tall member of tho Judicial Committee' of tho Privy Council. If such an one were continually sitting there ho would grada. ally lose touch with New Zealand laws, as perhaps they thought some of' the members of tho Judicial Committee had done. Ho' thought that colonial .judgog sitting as assessors might be a valuable addition to the Judicial Committee, but lu> would be extremely soiry to see thfl unity of tho judicial system of the Em. pire impaired in any; way. (Applause.)