Privy Council Judicial Committee.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 298, 23 June 1896, Page 2

Privy Council Judicial Committee.

(Per Press Association.) Sydney, June 22, Rumours are rife that Judge Windeyer, now in London, seeks a position; as Australasian representative on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ; farther, that Mr Chamberlain is favorable to the appointment if the colonies agree to him, and to the remuneration. So far, however, Mr Chamberlain has merely sounded the authorities as to whom they are likely to support. Any further move must come from the colonies themselves. The special difficulty in the way of selecting a man whom all the colonies approve lies in the diversified laws of the several colonies, so that a man from one colony advising on a case from another colony would bardly be much improvement on the present Judicial Committee. Sir W. Windeyer's claims to the position are scarcely likely to prove acceptable to the rest of Australia. Both the Argus and the Age raise their voices against the selection, the first named arguing that the Chief Justice should have preference, and that the first appointment should go ex officio to the Chief Justice. The Argus takes it for granted thai Australia only is concerned, although the Imperial Act provides for the selection from the Australian colonies, and the paper overlooks Sir James Prendergast's seniority.