The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-05

De nled and as many places for hearing causes in each county as the exigencies Of business may require. ?. A superior court (our circuit courts) having a de- fined, original, exclusive, general juris- diction at law in equity in probate and administration. in guardianship and kin dred matters; and in divorce; this court to have numerous local offices where pa pers may be filed and at least one regu- lar place of trial in each county and to be divided into at least two, and probably three, divisions-(a) one for dis position of actions at law and other mat ters requiring a jury or of kindred na- ture; (b) one for equity causes, and (c) one for probate administration, guardian ship and the like The first might be called the law division or the common pleas division. the second the equity or chancery division, and the third the pro- bate division. The third branch would be a single ultimate court of appeal
 The principal of all these plans has been adopted by the American Judicature society philanthropic association organ ized few years ago to promote the eff hcient administration of justice. As stat ed by MT Sims in his artile on Reform ing Judicial Administration" 'the society has published so far about a dozen bule- tins, consisting of discussions and crit icisms of the existing systems of judicial administrations in America, together with recommendations for its reform. and for the aid of legislators, the society has issued. several complete model bills to be enacted into laws, where complete reform of the courts is contemplated, prefaced by proposed constitutional amendments necessary in most instances. as the model bills generally conflict with details in existing state constitutions" In Bulletin vii-a, this society has published a very complete draft of a statewide judica- ture act, completed only after being sub mitted to the citicisms and suggestions of distinguished lawyers in all parts of the country.
 BASIC PRINCIPLE
 The basic principle of the reforms pro- posed by the committee of the American Bar association, and of the American Judiciary society is the unification of the entire judicial system of the state and the power given the chief justice to marshal all the judicial forces of the state to meet the pressure of business in any branch of the court or In any part of the state. They all contemplate complete and thorough supervisions oi the business of all the courts by some one in high authority, such as the chief justice, with power to make reassign- ments or temporary assignments of judges to particular localities as the Stdlc UT JuulCldl DuSlAcoo, NdSdiCicS III office, illness of judges or casualties might require, and with power subject to general rules to transfer causes or proceedings in any court for hearing or disposition according to the condition of the dockets and to see to 1t that all the judicial power of the state Is ef- fectively utilized. The same general su- pervision which the chief justice gives to the whole court is exercised by each branch and each division. in each local ity by some other officer who is espe- cially charged with the duty and is re- sponsible for the efficient and business like conduct of the affairs of the courts under his control and the disposition of causes upon the dockets. The plan of the American Judicature society con- 1 templates that the states should be di- vided into say six or seven circuits with corps of judges, one circuit judge made chairman for the circuit, with com plete power to regulate the assignment of causes to the different courts In his cir cult and to designate that judge who might be most fitted for the duty in each branch of the court. Such chairman will also have power to transfer causes from one division of the court to the other. All the plans seek to secure a thorough business administration of the courts and to overcome the decentralizing conditions which now exist, by which the clerks and other officials of each court are practically independent functionaries over whom even the judge of their own