MEETING OF JUSTICES.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2014, 7 August 1880, Page 4

MEETING OF JUSTICES.

A meeting of the Justices of the Peace residing in Christ church and the vicinity was held yesterday in the Beeident Magistrate's Court-house, to oo'eider a proposal made by the Government for relieving the press of judicial business, which has for some time post been felt in that Court. The notification had been issued by the clerk of tho Bench, who had advertised that the Mnister of Justice had requested the Resident Magistrate, Mr Mellish, to bring the local magistrates together, and ask them to meet and arrange for their attendance on the Bench three times a week, to dispose of criminal cases.

There were present—Mr Mellish, B.M. (in the chair), Messrs G. L. Lee, Hobbß, Westenra, Birch, Ollivior, Deamer, Cunningham Lean, Inglis, Pilliett, Jameson, Nathan, Maskell, Dobson, J. T. Brown, Tancred, Ick (Mayor of the city), Caro, Lanoe, Prins, Wright, Matson, Kimbell, Parker, Cass, Hewlings, and Crosbie.

Mr Mellish, in taking the chair, explained that he had been desired by ths Minister of Justice to see what could be done in the matter of getting the criminal business of the Resident Magistrate's Court placed in the hands of justices of the peace willing to reliove him of some of the work. He had had a conversation on tho subject with Mr Rolleston while passing through Wellington some days ago, and had undertaken to obtain the views of his brother magistrates on the matter. Tho Government had received, not long since, a recommendation from the Law Society urging that greater facilities should be afforded the public, as the press of business was such as to bo grievously felt both by the Bar and the community at large. The Government, however, in view of the present depressed state of the finances, could not see their way to increase the expense of the Judicial departments. What the Minister of Justice suggested was that three days in the week tho criminal sheet of the R.M.'s Court should be cleared by justices, whilo tho magisterial business in these days, which would be civil cases, would be undertaken by the resident magistrate. He would now invite an expression of opinion. Mr Westenra could not fee how the interests of the public could be served by the proposal. Although always willing to assist, justices were not so well qualified to do the heavy work as a stipendiary magistrate. He would move—" That it is desirable that a second or a deputy resident magistrate should be appointed." Mr Birch thought that this proposal of the Government was not real retrenchment, it was simply cheese-paring. Why not utilise the service* of the Lyttelton Resident Magistrate, whose time was not fully employed. Mr Maskell concurred with the last speaker's remarks, Mr Cunningham also agreeing that the paltry salary paid to tho Lyttelton Resident Magistrate should bo supplemented, and that he should be made to do extra duty in the Christohuroh Court, instead of a rota of justices taking the extra criminal work as suggested by the Minister of Justice. Mr Hobbs said that he thought the exigencies of the cose would bo fairly met if a Mayor's Court was established in the city, as had been dona in other places. What about the fines in convictions under the by-laws ? The Mayor strongly approved of the idea of a Mayor's Court. He deprecated the tone of the resolution. The position of a Justice of the Peace was an honorable one. Surely Government were not asking too much of the magistrates of Christchurch —some fifty in number—when requesting three of them some three days a week to sit an hour or so on tho Bench. The resolution placed before the meeting was one flying directly in the face of the Government, whoso desire was simply to carry out the present ideas of retrenchment, whioh none would dispute was needed. He for one could not see that any newly-

appointed resident magistrate, whether from Lyttelton or elsewhere, was better qualified than any of the justices then present to ad* minister the law. Stipendiary magistrates people thought should be lawyers. Mr Ollivier moved an amendment to Mr Westenra, to the effeot that a Mayor's Oourt should be established, as more likely to meet the requirements of the. community. In reply to Mr Birch, Mr Mellish said that from figures he had looked at some two years ago, he fancied that the rovenue of the Christehuroh Besident Magistrate's Oourt reached, in round fnumbers, about £ISOO ayear over the expenditure. Both Mr Birch and Mr Cunningham again expressed themselves to the effeot that the appointment of another resident magistrate for the city would be a wiser step than establishing a Justice's or a Mayor's Oourt. Mr Lean agreed with the last speakers, and said that the expense of a Mayor's Ooart, clerks, buildings, and so forth would at least come up to that of the salary of an oxtra resident magistrate. A great deal of desultory conversation here took place, Messrs Jameson and Nathan joining issue with those proposing that the judicial work should be done by another stipendiary magistrate. In answer to a question, Mr Mellish said that he thought that he could well go through the disposal of the current business of the Oourt. As to the Besident Magistrate of Lyttelton, he (Mr Mellish) could not say what his official engagements might be.

On Mr OlliTisr's amendment being put, it was lost by one vote, all present but one voting.

Bafore the original resolution was placed before the meeting, a considerable amount of argument pro and con took place, and several other amendments were allowed to be framed, altered, and withdrawn. Ultimately a motion was carried by 20 to 4i that in the opinion of the meeting an additional resident magistrate, or a deputy resident magistrate, should be appointed for the Chrietchuroh district.

It was then resolved—" That pending the receipt cf an answer to the foregoing a rota of Justices should be formed to facilitate the business of tho criminal side of the Oourt."

The proceedings, which were not at all times carried on with uniform harmony, concluded with a vote of thanks to the chairman.