A JUDICIAL FARCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 44, 19 January 1884, Page 3

A JUDICIAL FARCE.

The proceedings at the R.M; Court, yesterday, m connection with the hearing of the impounding case, partook very much of the character ( of a judicial' larce. First of all. there was absolutely nothing before the Court to indicate of what nature the proceed ings partook. No copies had been filed, and there was no record. But the J.. P. was equal to the occasion. In his blandest manner he requested Mr Hawkins to allow him, to pee, the summons or document or information, or whatever it was, which peculiar request was firmly but courteously declined. "Then" said the J.P., "Twill calll upon Mr George to give evidence;" "Very well," said Mr Hawkins, "if your Worship is going to conduct the case I shtill offer no objection;" Occasionally there would be a breeze between counsel, when the knotty law points would be judicially elucidated to the admiration of all the /spectators' m Comt. Where the inconsistency came m, was where a case was dismissed as " most frivilo^s," and yet the presiding J.P. refused to allow costs to counsel or even witnesses. This was the ruling that elicited a strong protest from Mr Hawkins, showing the absurdity, of such a decision, and thp hardship it caused to the witnesses who had been m attendance all day waiting to give evidence, and were now to re-j-.ce'ive nothing for their time or expenses. But his Worship was inexorable, and grumbling audibly the wifinesses departed. Had the cases been heard /before the R.M., probably all would have been doalb with m a couple of hours, and all parties: would have been satisfied. It is a pity that local .Justices takejupon themselves the ■responsibility ' of adjudicating, m such .cases, as a little. reflection might ',conyincft them that no matter T what decision they gave the parties to the suit would: express dissatisfaction. For entirely untrained. persons to ; venture to interpret and reconcile the intricacies surrounding the interpretation of Acts of the Legislature, and to attempt to decide points raised by counsel, must surely have a tendency, to, say the least, to bringj our legal institutions into ridicule. , .• I