THE MAGISTRACY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1805, 18 July 1913, Page 6

THE MAGISTRACY.

SALARIES INCKEASED AND POWEItS EXTENDED. Tho Magistrate's Courts' Amendment Bill, introduced by the Hon, A. L. Herdman, was circulated yesterday. . This amending measure. raises and oxtends tho scope of the Magistrate's Court and with that extra responsibility awards the magistrates increased and standardised salaries. It is provided that hereafter no persons shall be appointed a magistrate who is not a barrister or solicitor of the Supremo Court of not less than five years' standing; This is a slight change from the 1908 Act, by Clausp 7 of which the Governor could appoint any,"fit andproper person" to hold the ordinary jurisdiction of tho Court while those exercising tho extended jurisdiction were required to be either barristers or solicitors of five years' standing or to have been magistrates under the 1893 Act for live years. Clause 3 provides that f»oin tho passing of the Act every magistrate shall re-. ceivo .£7OO per ycav, while the principal magistrates in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin received .£BOO per year. These provisions are not to reduce the existing salaries of any magistrate. Tho civil jurisdiction of the Court is enlarged to includo power to deal with claims not exceeding .£2OO (JCIOO in tho present Acl) for breach of contract, tort, debt, partnership accounts, attachment of debts, and the enforcement of claims upon" and the recovery of possession of some specific movable property of a valuo not exceeding «E2OO. A number of minor amendments are included iii the measure, which also provides that tho Governor may appoint a fit person to be a magistrate in the Chatham Islands to cxcrcise such civic and criminal jurisdiction as the Governor directs. The salary of this magistrate shall be fixed by Parliament.