THE FINAL APPEAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3383, 25 November 1911, Page 8

THE FINAL APPEAL.

OUTCOAIE OF CONFERENCE

APPOINTMENT OF TWO AD,DI-

TIONAL JUDGES

The Lieutenant-Governor of New South AVales has received a despatch from the Secretary of State for the colonies in connection with the proposed single final-court of appeal for the Empire. It gives the following as tne result of the discussion at the Imperial Conference in June, when the proposals were made ,by the Home Government on the subject:— 1. At present the House of Lords is the Supreme Court of Appeal for the United Kingdom. and; the King in council (in effect th eJudicial Committee) Is the Supreme- Court- of 'Appeal for the rest of the Empire. 2. It is proposed to take a first step towards combining these courts into a Supreme Court of Appeal for the Empire. and towards strengthening them by adding to the number of Judges composing them. 3. The scheme is that the Home Government should add two selected Judges- to the Lords of Appeal. There would then be six Law Lords devoting their whole time to sitting in the two Courts. 4. In addition, the Lord Chancellor would, as now, preside whenever he is present, and all who are now qualified to sit in either the House of Lords or the Judicial Committee would be able to sit as now.

5. Ini this way the appeals of the United Kingdom and of the rest of tlio Empire respectively would be heard by the same Judges who hear them now, with the addition of two Law Lords to both Courts, hut the Courts would both be branches of the Imperial Court of Appeal. 6. Except where it is necessary that the House of Lords and. the Judicial Committee shall sit simultaneously, it is contemplated that the Court shall sit in full strength, first at the one and then at the other.

7. It will bo necessary that the conditions and method of appeal from different parts of the Empire shall be suited to the local requirements,' and it is not practicable to attain uniformity in these respects, at all events at first. But as the Judges will be almost entirely the samo for all kinds of appeals, it seems probable that a greater degree of uniformity may he reached, and possibly in time all differences may be effaced. 8. It is further- proposed that, in accordance with the wishes expressed by the Dominion representatives, the practice of the Judicial Committee shall be modified so that in Dominion cases any dissentient Judge may he free to give his reasons if his Majesty’s consent is given to this change.

A Bill lias since been introduced into the House of Lords to authorise the appointment of two additional Lords of Appeal, wlib will be available for service on the Judicial Committee.