CHIEF JUSTICE

Hokitika Guardian, 2 December 1925, Page 4

CHIEF JUSTICE

_ f-jj KfKDKXT DISC ESSED

I DGXi'iDIN, November .’lO. j The appointment of Mr ( . D. Kkert ivtl. Ka- Child’ .lu-dicc of New ! Zealand, prompted a " Daily Times" reporter to ask a leading Dunedin barrister whether: in his recollection a I member of the Supreme Courl Bench had ever been promoted to the posit ion of Chief .1 ustice. j The barrister said be could not re member such a promoiion. and lie went on to explain that in New /calami the Go, .WMaent was simply following the jiinm ti, noft he precedent adopted in England. '1 he precedent ot taking a consulting legal practitioner and making him ( hu I .Justice over Hie head, of nui me .1 u.lev's hail come into oraetiie in laigland through well delined causes. It was not a precedent, however. a- lived as i lll- laws id the Medes and the Persians, hut ii wa- neverih" I•• s I eeonii u■; a ir. u\ or lo- , aI-du i e pi c edent. 'I he nine! ice had conn into Kindand many years ago in order t pi event puis ne Judges holding tin li.dance of justice in lavour ol the ( 'row ii in any (•:;>.• In w'uieh. 11 might to i" in'crned in i he hone ul liuui'e pro-fermi-nt. The position of a puisne Jed .. ween he was appointed was that : o had not liing lo lea r from the Chow n in the eoitd.ic L ot his work, and iieithoi had lie ally hone of preferment. The Dunedin harrisler would not a ■ ree that the precedenl was altop.etiler unwise, hut lie admitted that ii might (niilaiti aaoundies. In answer (o a Ihn llier (jiiestion. lie said ib.at he siw no reason whv mem. . lans of the Magisterial Beiiehes slioul I ini he promoted to tin- Supreme 1 ( :< ! IN-::. . .