COURT ACCOMMODATION.

Evening Star, Issue 3924, 22 September 1875, Page 2

COURT ACCOMMODATION.

In _ the Resident Magistrate’s Court thfjj morning, Mr Mouat dr w his Worship's (J. Bathgate, Ksq , R M.) attention to the delay which had taken place in regard to the issue of a fraud summons, in a case in which he app-aml for the • laintiff. He said that if it were r.ot for the fact that the defendant had appeared the plaintiff would have no s'auding, a< the smouions had not been issued the Aqni i/' »u bar of davs. T !<- did net attiibute any blame to the offi erof the Court, but. h's Worship must know ‘hair- 1 -i intsa of (he Court was felling into arrears ir consequence of the want of office accommodatio i and a sufficient siatf of cleiks and bailiffs. He had waited a considerable time in the hj po <hat some of his seniors would take this matter up. He would now go farther and say that, the present buildings were as unfitted for the requirements of a Kesident, Magistrate’s Court as any room that could be found in Dunedin. The time had now arrived when the attention of the Government ought to be called to this state of things in order that proper provision should be made for the administration of justice in this important pait of the Colony. He wished to call his Worship’s att ntion to the fact that the Resident Magistrate’s Court leturnsa revenue to the Colony of 1/24,000, which was five times as much as that derived from the Supreme and District Courts, Such being the case, the Government ought to provide suffieiept Court accommodation, and also a sufficient staff of officers.

His Worship replied that he was quite satisfied that, the remarks made by Mr Mount were not without foundation. There was no doubt whatever that the business of the Court was increasing greatly. Up to the Ist of September this yar the number of cases was 1,900, against 1,100 for the same period of the preceding year, and this increase must necessarily throw a large amount of additional work upon the existing staff. He had brought the matter under the notice of the Government, and he expected that an additional clerk would be appointed almost immediately. This would probably relievo the pressure complained of. He had no means of knowing whether or not the clerks in the office performed their duties as expeditiously as possible, and the learned counsel had done right in bringing the matter unde ■ his notice. Mr Mouat said that he did not consider that any blame was attributable to the o'i errs of the Court.

His Worship perfectly concurred with the remarks made by Mr Mouat in regard to tie inefficiency of the accommodation afforded by the present building, both for tile Bar, the pubdc, and the Court. For the last two years there had been a largo sum on the Estimates for the purpose of erecting new buildings for a court-house in Dunedin. What had said was also applicable to the Supreme Court - bouse buildings, which were in a wretched state, and altogether unfit for the administration of justice. s .° much was this tlie case that both Air Justice Johnston and Mr Justice Willia s had foumj it necessary to dispose of the banco business in the library. A commission had been appointed to arrange with the Town Council for a site, but these negotiations had not come to any definite conclusion He expre sed his astonishment that the City Council had not taken up the matter, :ig one of primary public importance. The Municipal Council was the trustee for the public, and ought to ferl it to be its duty to afford a central site

for the eonvcnlem;e of its constituents who v ere so much concerned in a proper place being obtained for the administration of justice. If a site could lie obtained in the Octagon Reseyve, the court-house erected on it might con tain accommodation for both the Supreme ( ourt siul tlte Resident Magistrate’s Court, and thus the administration of justice worn-,; be cone 'Titrated in one budding, and the librarv would be attached and be accessible to toe practitioners in tin Resident Magistrate s t’c-urt. Counsel also would no mn.er expercure any difficulty in appealing iu the District ‘ ourt. in costume, ■in considered it a matter of primary imp r mncQ ihnt the municipality should unite with the Government in order to maintain a building suitable to the requirements of the place, jle hoped that the remarks lit had made would induce the City Council to lend a hand, so that the desired object necessary for the comfort and convenience of the public might be accomplished.