To Speed Up -the Law The most important recommendation of
Lord Peel's Commission on the " state of business in the King's Bench Division " is that a new post should be created at the Law Courts, whose holder, a " well-paid whole- time officer," would have the task of securing " the economical and efficient use of judge-power in the interest of litigants, witnesses, jurors and practitioners." Such an appointment (to which-Lord Hewart was opposed) could alone ensure the proper working-out- of the Com- mission's other proposals. Many of these are somewhat technical, but none the worse for that. The Commission- ers come out boldly for the view that it is a less evil for a judge to be occasionally disengaged in court than for parties, witnesses, counsel, -and solicitors to be summoned to attend (as at present) often a day, and sometimes many days,- before there is a real chance that their case will come on. Incidentally, the Report favours retaining the circuit system ; recommends an age-limit (72) for King's Bench judges ; urges that any increase in the criminal _jurisdiction of Quarter Sessions must be made conditional on the • appointment of legally qualified chairmen ; and rejects any further increase in the com- pulsory- jurisdiction of the County Courts.
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