JUSTICE SYSTEM

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1932, Page 6

JUSTICE SYSTEM

NO NEED FOR OVERHAUL IN N.Z

RAPID. EFFICIENT AND CHEAP.

CHBIjSa’OH.Ffi.CH, Deo. IS. In the opinion of a prominent local ’ barrister, there is no need in New Zealand for an overhaul of the system of justice, such as is Con’tempk,ted in England. The system here, ‘h© claims, is rapid, efficient and cheap. The barrister explained that there were blockages periodically in Supreme Court work in New Zealand, bu:t they were never serious and in no way comparable to the waits of eighteen months before trial which were common in England. Blockages- in New Zealand were more due to the 'distribution of the judges available than to a sank of judges. There were enough judge? to cope with the workon hand. In England there were almost invariably hold-ups in Appeal Court cases, and! actions Before the House of lords, -blit in Now Zealand there was rarely a hold-up in Appeal court buisio«sis because the Court isa.t legularl.y three times a year. Costs genera!y were suhftanltially

lower in New •Zealand than they were in England, where actions involving liugp amounts, with correspondingly high costs were common. Actual Court proceedings in New Zealand and in England were practicably th.e same, but the hug' l volume of work in England caused the slowness that was a source of complaint. Clogging of the English Courts had been general since the war, «ud various expedients had been tried to relieve the pressure.