Evening star., 1937-05-06
Text of Hughes Speech
Chief Justice Addresses Session of american Law
Institute.
Institute.

heard all the cases that are ready to
be heard. This week cases have been
argued which were filed Is late az
April 20. There are no inordinate
or unjustified delays In the Supreme
Court.
The figures for the current term do
not vary greatly from those Of the
terms Of recent years, and shall not
trouble you with many Of them. The
total number Of cases on our dockets
for the current term is somewhat less
than the number for last term. AS
Of May /, there were 946 cases on our
appellate docket this term, as against
986 last term, or 40 less. This term
there have been argued and submitted
on the merits 1872 cases, including as
one case those argued and submitted
in q single group, or 2l8 cases in in
dividual numbers. This number en-
braces cases on appeal and cases in
which certiorari had been granted.
Last term there were argued and sub
mitted 169 cases, or 214 In individual
numbers.
We have thus far during the cur
rent term granted 1913 petitions for
certiorari and denied 583. The num-
Der granted is close to the usual per-
centage Of petitions which have been
found entitled to grant under our
rules. These rules, as I said in my
talk to you three years ago, are de-
signed to carry out the intent of the
jurisdictional act Of 1925 in insuring
the hearing of cases that are important
in the interest of the law. That is
where review by the court of last re-
sort is needed to secure harmony of
decision in the lower courts of appeal
and the appropriate settlement OF
questions of general importance SO
that the system of Federal justice may
be appropriately administered.
Rules Literally Applied.
As I have frequently stated, we are
liberal in the application Of our rules
and certiorari is always granted II
four justices think 1t should be, and
not infrequently, when three, or even
two, justices strongly urge the grant.
1t may also be noted that Of the pc
titions for certiorari which have been
acted upon this far during the current
term, % were distributed to the justices
during the last Summer and were ex-
| amined by the justices in the recess sc
that action could be taken, and it was
| taken, as soon as the court convened
in October. In addition, there were dis
tributed to us during the Summer re-
cess 80 Jurisdictional statements anc
| % miscellaneous motions, making 4
total Of 288 applications which we con.
| sidered in the Summer recess and were
ready to act upon when we met in con-
ference at the beginning Of our term.
OF course, the final figures for the
term, including the total number OF
cases that will be discussed of on hear
ing or otherwise, can only be deter.
mined at its close, but what I have
said is sufficient, I think. to give you
fair idea of the state of our work.
Federal Interest Large.
An interesting feature OF the ad-
ministration Of justice In the Fedora
courts Is the large percentage of cases
in which the Government is directly
interested. Last Fall the Attorney
General reported to the conference OF
senior circuit judges that of 45,17s
civil cases exclusive OF bankruptcy
cases) which were pending as Of JUNE
80, 1896, in the Federal courts, 1878
were United States civil cases"
In June, 1895, the corresponding
number OF civil cases was 1882, o.
which the United States cases were
1925. In the Supreme Court tht
Government cases are apparently ,
larger percentage OF the whole. TIL.
figures given in the last annual reporr
of the solicitor general indicate, or
the average, that approximately Al