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remainder of the week when it might, and as I think ought to,
have been disposing of civil cases.
7.
The question how far the Puisne Judge can
be called on to assist the Chief Justice in the Supreme Court naturally arises. It is impossible to get his services unless he has notice on the Thursday in the previous week, for he must, by statute, hold a sitting every Friday to fix the cases in the Summary Court for the ensuing week, after which the services of the Puisne Judge cease to be available during that week. In these circumstances it is not always easy to fix sittings of the Full Court having due consideration to the convenience of all persons interested. Apart from this however the Puisne Judge * has his own Court to look after: it is a Summary Court in which delays are to be avoided as much as possible, and it is only in cases of extreme pressure that I feel justified in asking the Puisne Judge to assist me at the Criminal Sessions: I do not think it would be possible to look to him for help in civil cases. By way of illustration: one of the too frequent dead- -locks has occurred this month, and it has only been possible to get the business done by the Fuisne Judge holding the Assize formally on Friday 18th., and adjourning the trial of the cases
till the following Monday,
8.
From the public I turn now to the personal
side of the question. The conditions under which the work of the Court has to be carried on are irksome and irritating to a Judge in the highest degree. In the first place I am in a perpetual state of uncertainty as to what business can be taken: and I have always to cut and contrive the time of the Court in order to fit in the different classes of work at odd times. The following example is illustrative of what is continually happening. Last week an Admiralty case commenced on Monday,
and
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