1
- 11
"Allied to the freedom of speech is the independence of
thought and notion of the Judiciary. Although this is a British conc.pt
of long-standing, it is inadequately understood or apprecited hero. Meny people find it hard to believe that Members of the Judiciary, wo
are servants of the Crown and paid from revenues collected by the
Government, are able to preserve a complete detachment when adjudicating
between the Government and a private citizen.
"Yot I can assure the doubters that this is indeed so and that
the administration does not, and by long custom and tradition any not,
try to influence the Courts in the way in which they deal with thoir.
casus.
Thore is, of course, considerable public criticism, because
the courts do not impose sufficiently severe sentences to satisfy a community which is outraged by the activities of robbers and hooligans.
"I suggest that these attacks on the Judiciary illustrate that
this is a healthy society. It is healthy because people are preporod
to express their indignation publicly. It is healthy because they are prepared to criticise the Judiciary openly. It is healthy because the Judiciary makes up its own mind es to the extent to which it vill
acccpt these criticisms.
"I ask anyone who argues that the Government should be ablu
to give instructions to the Judici ry, to consider what happens in
If the administr-tion is able countries in which this is possible.
to ensure the punishment of those who criticise it or who are unpopular
with it, there remains only a very short step to autocracy, injustice
and oppression.
ATTTTIME