The Jersey City news., 1906-05-02
REPORT FILED ON
STATE JUDICIARY
Commission Appointed to
Study the Proposed Con-
stitusional Amendments
Makes It's Report
CHANGES RECOMMENDED
EXPENSE OF THE JUDICIARY TO
BE MATERIALLY DECREASED
DIVISIONS AND POWERS or
THE SUPREME COURT
Special to ..The Jersey city News. y


report of the commission to report on the
amendments to the constitution to effect
change in the judicial system of the
State that the business of he courts may
be better expedited, is as follows:-
The subscribers. commissioners who
were appointed by virtue of an act of
the Legislature, approved March 81,
1905. to investigate and report to the
Governor and Legislature, as follows:-
(a) How the system Of courts can, by
constitutional amendment and by legisla-
ton, be better adjusted to the demands
of judicial business;
(b) What changes in the judicial sys-
ten can be made with advantage, in or
der to prevent the use Of two eF-more
legal proceedings to settle controversies
that can be conveniently settled in one;
and in order to minimize delays due to
ltigations or objections upon points of
procedure not involving the substantive
rights of the parties;
(c) In what respects the system of
procedure can be made more simple and
certain;
I'D Whether like defects in similar ju-
dicial systems have been successfully
remedied by other states and peoples,
and if so, by what means;
Do hereby respectfully report that we
carefully considered the several matters
committed to us after examination of the
judicial systems of other states, as also
thar Of England, and do recommend the
adoption Of the constitutional amendme 4
and the passage of the statute accom-
panying this report.
We confidently believe that these meas
ures will ena BILE our courts to dispose of
legal controversies with dispatch, afford
ing ample time for deliberation, and full
consideration of the rights of suitors; that
procedure will be rendered more simple
and certain, and the delay, vexation and
expense resulting from the selection of
the wrong tribunal will be substantially
removed.
The expense Of the judiciary to the
State will also be materially decreased.
Five circuit judges, now authorized by
law, and six of the judges of the present
Court of Errors and Appeals will be dis
pensed with. The salaries of these
judges aggregate about $4,000, while
under the proposed amendment there will
an increase of two justices of the Su-
prenle Court, whose salaries will not
amount to more than $4,000. The ex-
pense of litigation to s,iitors, we believe,
will also be substantially decreased The
well defined jurisdiction and all that is
Of value in the present system is pre-
served, while its antiquated features and
useless multiplicity of county courts are
discarded, jurisdiction being vested in
single court called s'the County Court"
The judicial power will be vested in a
court for the trial of impeachments, a.
supreme court, county courts and such
/ other courts, inferior to the supreme
tcourt, as may be established by law.
The court for the trial Of impeach-
ments will be constituted as it now is.
The governor, the chancellor, the chief
justices of the Supreme Court and two
citizens of the State appointed by the
Governor, by and with the advice and
consent Of the Senate, will constitute the
Board of Pardons.
The supreme court will consist of a
chief justice and eighteen associate JUS
tees, which number may be increased by
law, and will be organized in three divi-
'AVAi' itSiJ hfie slPpcaie NAAN 1tstVl1. ne
law division and ire chancery division.
The appeals division will consist of the
chief justice and four other justices of
the supreme court, to be assigned by the
governor; a justice Of the supreme court,
assigned by the governor, shall serve in
the appeals division until the end, of his
term and shall sit in no other court dur
ing his term. Thereby an Independent
court of appeals will be created. with the
appellate jurisdiction now possessed by
the court Of errors and appeals the juris-
diction now possessed BY the supreme
court on writ Of error and the jurisdic-
tion now possessed by the prerogative
court on appeal, and the ordinary on APP
peal. and such further appellate jurisdic-
tion As may be conferred upon it=by. law.