OVERWORKED JUDGES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 76, 26 March 1912, Page 7

OVERWORKED JUDGES.

! - ftl-f /• ori” /}*>f: • if ',«■? V ■ OPINIONS OF 'MR.' JUSTICE ' EDWARDS. (Per Press Association A Mastertoii/ March 24. Commenting in the Supreme Court on Saturday on an article which had appeared in the “Wairarapa Age” of that morning, alleging that Supreme Court judges were overworked, Judge} Edwards stated that while the article wais quite fair, he did not wish it understood that ho had been habitually overworked. He had worked long hours at Auckland and Hamilton of late, and for the first time in his experience he had succeeded in thoroughly upsetting himself. He pointed out that owing to the absence of Judge Cooper in England, the Court had worked shorthanded during the last twelve months, but he hoped that on Judge Cooper’s' return the work would be made easier. Following is the article referred to by Mr. Justice Edwards “It is somewhat of a striking commentary upon the eight-hour system which obtains in this country that a Judge of the Supreme Court should make.the admission which was made by Judge Edwards in Master-ton yesterday, that.it had been necessary for him to work from sixteen to eighteen,hours a day of late. The .judge’s physical appearance bore painful testimony to the. fact that he was suffering 'from the effects of overwork. Surely in this prosperous country, where the finances are buoyant and the most scrupulous care is taken that the artisan and,labourer, shall not he overworked, it is a shocking thing that Supreme Court Judges should he compelled to do duty for sixteen and eighteen hours a day. If there is an insufficient number of Judges to deal with the work of the higher Courts 1 during ordinary business hours, it is the duty of the Government to see that- the Bench of Judges is immediately strengthened.