NOVEL STRIKE

Hokitika Guardian, 23 March 1928, Page 1

NOVEL STRIKE

AUSTRALIA AGAIN. JUSTICES AND MAGISTRATE SYDNEY, March 8. “It has been asserted over and over again, with ample justification, ion, that Australia is a land. of novel strikes. The latest took place in Camberwell, one of the residential suburbs of Melbourne. Annoyed at what they considered the overbearing conduct of the Police Magistrate who sits at Camberwell once a fortnight, the honorary justices who customarily sit on the bench, have decided not to do so again with that particular Magistrate. The trouble arose over a recent incident in the Court, when a Police Magistrate, who was hearing a case, told a Justice who was putting questions on his own account that there was only one chairman on the bench, and that was lie. Subsequently the honorary Justices held a conference and decided upon the action they have now taken. There do not appear to be nny hard and fast rules for the conduct of Petty Sessions Benches in this regard, but it is the practice of the Police Magistrate when he is present to preside, and as chairman to be the •spokesman. It must be manifest, it is pointed out, that a. Justice sitting on a bench cannot inform his mind adequately if etiquette forbids him to ask a necessary questions; therefore it followed that reasonable liberty should be grunted to all members of the liench in that respect. In Australia Justices do not, as a rule, regard themselves as muzzled and are always keen to protect their rights. Recently the Justices of New South Wales maintained tbeii right to sit on the bench, a privilege which is often denied them. The Minister for Justice said that until there was some improvement in the method of appointing Justices he would not agree, as under lie present system men were liable to be appointed who were not possessed of the ability necessary for them to judge their fellow men. It was then proposed that the. Minister should make a selection of the Justices who, in his opinion, were qualified to sit on the bench. The Minister saw some merit in this proposal, but has not yet adopted it pending further examination of the .subject, ft .seems that a different system of appointment may be evolved and if it savours less of political patronage than the existing system it will be welcome fairly generally. New Zealand may have a lesson to learn from the developments in Australia. j 111 the meantime it can be said that the Camberwell .strike will be less harmful to the community than most Australian strikes are.