COURT WORK OVER 40 YEARS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 79, 20 April 1937, Page 13

COURT WORK OVER 40 YEARS

Mr» J. Miller^s Address To Rotarians MANY CHANGES MADE Changes in almost every aspect of court work during the past 40 years, wero commented upon to Napier Rotarians by Mr. J. Miller, S.M., in an address given yesterday at the weekly luneheon of the club". Prom hie experience of court work in the capacities of registrar, sherifl! and magistrate, Mr, Miller gave an interesting comparison of the p'resent-day court with the more turbulent court iu existence at the beginuiug of the century. He attributed the changes to a large extent to iiicreases in education aud travel aud tho advauce of, science. In regard to education, the diii'erence Wa« most marked in regard to police olficers. WhEe the legal profession, strengthened by members of the English Bar, had always been comprised of worthy men, the advance in the standard of the education of the police ofiicers wa® pronounced, Now they we.re educated for their posts and promotiona by exUmination and the study of the law, with the result that their work in court was of a much better standard than that of the older school. At one time, the numbers of cases to be heard, particularly 'in regar^ to family and neighboure ' squabbles, were sueh that sessiOHs were gre&tly prolonged. The mOtor-car had altered this to some extent, as the magistrate was able to viait all places in 'hiH district more often, and to still spend less time in travelling. In earlier days it was ttot uncommon to see a presidiiig magistrate on the Bepch, his eara frostbitten through constant riding on hdrseback. A further great change was in the position in regard to drinkittg &nd

drunkenness. In the period before the war, the clerk of the court was* forced to dome to Work early in the morning, to write up the large number of charge sheets for offences of drunkenness or thoise of assault and battery or obscene lauguage arising out of drink. The change in 1916 to six o'clock el^smg had made n great alteration in this respcct. Formcrly, the only amusemont for a young jman was in the hotel at night, and without isetting out to be a drunkard, the constant attendance at the hotel often led to this. "There is now a marked difference iu the jury system, almost entirely due to education," commented the speaker. "The whole system seems altered, and it is an ideal one. Twelve men iis a correet number— too great to be influenced to any extent by one man, and too small to be tuled by mob psychology. The need for a special jury, in cases where expert knowledge of the evidence offered is required, is f&st disappearing duee to the increase of education, and a glance through the lists often shows that a common jury is as good as a special oue. "The jury nowadays takec. a really intolligent view of the evidence, and the old orations of counsel, put fOrward to hypnotise the jury, have diisappeared. Counsel now will admit that they have to bring out the facts before they wili succeed. "The Crown Prosecatof of the older days, Tuthless, bullying, unfair, out for a conviction, has »lso gone in tho past 30 years. W e"* now have a fair man, who, if there is anything to say for a prisoner, Bfy it. Of that we have no better example than our local Crown Frosecutor." Following the address, a vote of thanks, propbsed by Rotarian L. O. Rolls, was passed by aeclamation.