CO129-508-5 Supreme Court of Hong Kong- slackness of registry accounting methods 28-10-1927 - 23-4-1928 — Page 79

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At the time when the Hules were framed the Registry of the Supreme Court and the colonial Treasury were in the same building.

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It was a convenience to the Government that payment should be made direct to the Treasurer and the practice caused no waste of time or inconvenience to the public.

The two offices concerned now being in buildings some distance apart it would seem to be more convenient for members of the public to make payments to the Registry direct than for them bepelled to go to the Registry to obtain the necessary "direction" and then to have to go to the Treasury to make payment and to obtain the necessary receipt.

At present payments are made to the Registrar and are tranmitted by him to the Treasurer accompanied by a direction to receive payments.

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If payment is to be made at the Registry, as at present, a receipt can be issued at the time of payment, and the transaction can be carried through with no waste of time to the public.

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If payment is to be made at the Treasurer on the

Registrar's "direction" some delay is inevitable and the

Deputy Registrar will be subject to incessant interruptions

caused by the necessity for his signing each "direction"; the

public will moreover be put to the inconvenience of visiting

two offices instead of one.

The determination of the question as to whether

payment should be made at the Registry or to the Treasurer

would seem to be a condition precedent to any attempt to

reorganize the accounting system of the Registry. Thisis

a matter which appears to be within the province of the Chief

Justice (Ord.No.5 of 1896 s.4). The Committee ventures to suggest that payment to be Registrar appears to be the

better course.