COPY.
C.O.
5617
Rece
282
Hon. Colonial Secretary,
[Rent 17 FEB (3)
Many thanks for this file. Now that the Crown
Solicitor is a qualified barrister the difficulty in finding in the service a substitute for the Attorney-General when the Attorney-General was on leave or acting as Chief Justice would not
arise.
I cannot say that I came out, as the last Attorney-
-General did, under any assurance that I should act as Chief Justice, though Ifnew, of course, that it was the practice here
for the Attorney-General to do so. For personal reasons I should
like to act as Chief Justice: firstly because it gives one valu-
-able judicial experience which will be useful to one when one, in due course I suppose, coes on the bench somewhere; secondly be- -cause of the pecuniary advantage and of the position; and thirdly,
here, because I am senior to the Puisne Judge in my profession and precedence in that is of some importance amongst ourselves.
(Sd.) John A. Bucknill,
Attorney-General.
22nd. January, 1913.