CO129-392 - Governor Sir May - 1912 [9-10] — Page 28

A

Report or an Ordinance (No.27 of 1912) to make provision

for the reconstitution of the Full Court.

1. This Ordinance has been passed for the purpose of

providing for an alteration in the constitution of the Supreme

Court of the Colory. By the Ordinance the previously exis-

ting system under which appeals from a Supreme Court Judge

went necessarily (there being only twe Supreme Court Judges

in the Colony i.e. the Chief Justice and the Puisne Judge) to

a Court composed as to one member of it of one of the Judges from whem the appeal lay,is ameliorated.

2. The Ordinance provides that to supplement the present Supreme Court one of the Judges of His Britannic Majesty's

Supreme Court or other duly qualified harrister of standing

fer China may join the Court thus giving a Full Court of

Appeal composed of 3 Judges. The Ordinance in the form of a

Bill was submitted to the Right Honourable the Secretary of

State for the Colonies prier te its introduction into the

Legislative Council by whom it was approved substantially in

its present ferm.

3. It is perhaps unnecessary here to enter into the

changes which it was suggested should be introduced into the

Bill by sme members of the Committee of the Legislative

Council to which it was referred during its passage through the Council as such alterations were proposed upon the assump- tien that instead of the arrangements contemplated by this Ordinance a third permanent Supreme Court Judge would be est tablished locally. These suggestions however were met apprev- ed and under instructione from the Secretary of State the Ordinance in its present form was duly passed.

4. Section 1 gives the title.

Section 2 defines the expression Full Court and prshi- hits where possible the Judge whose judgement is appealed frem from being a member of an Appellate Court consisting of only two Judges.

25