JOTTING DOWN JUSTICE.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 133, 20 May 1926, Page 3

JOTTING DOWN JUSTICE.

WIT IN JUDGES’ NOTES. Sir Ernest Wild, the Recorder cf London, stated recently that in the four years he had sat on the bench he had filled one hund.red note books. As each contains 70 pages, he has covered in all 7000 pages, and the total number of words he has written is about 1,400,000 ! Judges differ in note-taking. When the notes of a certain smoke abatement case reached the Appeal Court they were found to consist of nothing but a sketch of a tall chimney belching forth enormous volumes of black smoke. Still more amusing were the “ notes ” of another case. They were merely pen-and-ink sketches of the counsel engaged in it, with transferred noses. A man with a snub nose was given one of the bulbous variety, and so on. One of the most sparing of note-tak-ers was Lord Mansfield, who jotted down the gist of a case, and then amused himself by reading a book or a newspaper while counsel was addressing the court Tie did this when a barrister named Dunning was speaking, whereupon that pleader suddenly stopped. “ Pray go on, Mr Dunning,” said the judge. “ I beg your pardon, my lord,” replied counsel, “ but I fear I shall interrupt your lordship’s more important occupation. I will wait until your lordship has leisure to attend to my client and his humble advocate.” Some judges, on the other hand, take voluminous notes. Lord, Brampton was an exceptionally industrious scribe during the hearing of a case, though he rarely referred to his notes when he was summing up. Another conscientious note-taker was Lord Darling. He wrote with a lead pencil or in ink, and paused every now and then to underline a passage with one of six pencils of assorted colours that he kept ranged by his side. The colour of pencil he used depended on the significance of the point. To this practice was due the precision with which he was able to sum up in criminal trials. An equally exact judge, when his hearing became impaired, acquired the habit of repeating anything that he had heard quite distinctly and adding an expression of satisfaction. The ef- , feet was often ludicrous. One day a woman witness had, to tell him again, and in a louder voice, what a prisoner ; had called her.

| “He called her,” said his lordship, writing the words as he spoke, “ a soland-so excommunicated gasometer. Good!” No less fond of detail was Chief Baron Kelly. In his old, age he was particularly anxious to get down as ■many figures as possible, and a common request of his was l , “Will you be good enough to give me the dates?” ! One day he made it after a case had been in progress 'for some ! time. “ I have already given your j lordship the material dates,” replied ! i witness. “ Then be good enough to give me the immaterial ones,” said, the Chief Baron. So the case was held up until counsel had supplied all the dates he could find —or invent ! Lord Ellenborough was, at times, ’ nearly as exacting, though he met his , match in a figure-loving barrister, who | pelted him with dates and statistics. • Ultimately, however, the judge apprej ciated the humour of the situation. : Counsel stated that something was | “written in the book of nature.” “Name j the page,” said, his lordship with mock j severity and with pen uplifted, as if ready to make a note of the informa- • tion.