CO129-347 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [4-6] — Page 29

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Court as the Straits Settlements do, and the Chief Justice

has full authority to take any books from it which he may

require. The matter is still the subject of discussion.

4.

I have given this question my most

careful consideration, and have made extended enquiries

into the opinions held by both Officers in the Government

Service and others regarding it. I submit to Your Lordship

the conclusions I have arrived at, so far as I have been

able to reach a definite conclusion.

There is undoubtedly a consensus

of opinion, which I myself share, that the Appeal Court as

constituted is a farce, and that a proper Appeal Court is

very urgently needed. Appeals from the Chief Justice are

in effect appeals to himself since he has the predominant

voice in a Court consisting of two only. In the 4th. para-

-graph of my letter of 8th. February, 1908, to the Chief

Justice, I made a suggestion that if it were found practic-

-able the Judge of Shanghai might sit as an Appeal Judge

in the Supreme Court here. Sir F. Piggott replies to this

in paragraph 14 of his letter of 29th. February, 1908, and

assɩmmes:-

(a) that the Foreign Office would desire recipro-

-city, i.e. that a Judge from Hongkong should visit

Shanghai in order to sit as Appeal Judge there;

(b)