LATE SETTLEMENT

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21178, 30 July 1940, Page 7

LATE SETTLEMENT

INCONVENIENCE TO JURORS (By TelefrrapTi.—Special to Times) WELLINGTON, Monday Another reference to the last-min-ute settling of cases, as a result of which jurors were needlessly called to Court, was made in the Supreme Court today by the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, when it was announced that a settlement had been reached in a case set down for hearing. j Sir Michael said that if he had the ! settling of the fixture list for the next session he would see to it that no cases were set down for hearing by juries unless they were to come to trial. If that did not get over the difficulty he would take further steps. He might even approach the Minister of Justice with a view to introduci ing the system introduced in England ; for the war period of doing without | juries in certain cases and Judges ; alone hearing them. He wished it to i be understood that such a system would be for the war period only, as he was not an advocate of doing away with juries. His Honour said it was wrong that 40. 50 or 60 men should be brought to Court at inconvenience to themselves and their employers and pecuniary loss to some of them. A certain amount of delay had been avoided today, inasmuch as a jury of four required for tomorrow would be empanelled today with the consent of the parties.