The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-07
Special Committee of Bar
Association Urges the Su-
preme Court to Adopt
This Reform
PROFESSION IN STATE
is HUNGERING FOR
DECISIONS OF COURT
Report Shows Advanced Discussion
and Decision Will Avoid Del
egation of Responsibility
Which Should Not
Be Delegated
by l.. s. BETTY

Montgomery, December 6.-(Special.)
Necessity for the abolition of the "one
Judge decision" evil Is shown in a
strong and able report which has been
, submitted to the supreme court of
Alabama by the special committee ap-
pointed to urge the adoption of that i'm
portant reform. Composed of three of
the ablest lawyers in Alabama-Thomas
M Stevens of Mobile. Henry Fits of
Birmingham and e. w. Godbey of De-
catur-the committee has not only per-
formed the task to which 1t was COM
missioned, but has presented so many
cogent reasons for the new procedure
that Ii Is safe to assume that the su-
preme court will, within the near fu-
ture, take steps towards carrying out
their recommendations.
The committees report is considered
one of the strongest that has ever
been presented on the subject, and
members of the supreme court were
profoundly impressed by its language.
The entire substance of the report has
to do with the abolition of the cone
Judge" evil, the adoption of "a pro-
cedure whereunder every case will be
considered and decided by the court
before it is referred to justice for the
preparation of an opinion"
Commissioned by State Bar
The appointment of the committee
by the State Bar association to repre-
{ sent its views on the subject of the
new procedure followed the adoption of
resolution by the association, COM
mendfng the supreme court for its
recent rule looking to the abolition of
the zone Judge" evil, and recommend
Ing the adoption of system which
would bring about the complete re-
form.
"The kings of old had their wise
men," said the committee in speaking
for the association, and the modern
ruler summons the cabinet or ministers
for council. not merely the head of the
department to which the matter in
hand belongs"
The report shows that advanced dis
cussion and decision will avoid the dele
cation of responsibility which should
not be delegated" and declares that a
wrong decision by the court of last re-
sort is a tragedy.
THE profession In Alabama is
hungering for opinions of the court. Ii
Is wearied by travelling through many
pages of writing which are repudiated
as opinions of the court by concur
renee limited TO conclusions"
In concluding their report the COM
mittee pays a high tribute to the court
and to former justices who have
adorned the bench of last resort but de-
cIares that conditions now are not the
same as they We're in former days, and
maintains that the increase in popula-
tion, wealth and utilities demands
changes in court procedure
The report was read to the supreme
court by Mr.. Stevens. the chairman of
the committee, and 1t is declared that
c the court has never been more i'm
pressed by legal document than that
presented to 1t by the three distin-
guished lawyers who represented the
State Bar association.
The Report in Full
Following is the report in full:
To the honorable chief justice and as
sociate justices of the supreme court
of ALBANIA:
We come at the behest of the State
Bar association to give respectful eX-
preston to its view that great good
will be accomplished by this court de-