The Sun. — 1836-03-12 (London, England)

ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.—WEST ILord GLENE LG rose to move the second reading of the ;3.11 for the better administration cf justice in the West He might rest on the general notoriety which tre,vailed of the mal-administration of justice in the NVcst nuia Islands, but he would trouble their Lordships by stating why this change was proposed. It was a subject deeply affecting a great portion of his Majesty's subjects in the Colonies ; and one material reason for the Bill was the Want of qualification in the judges who now preside over the courtsin these islands.---( Hear, hear.) The judges were almost invariably connected with the suitors, and not Very onfrequently bore a part in the quarrels which they afterwards adjudicated upon. The Courts of Criminal and Civil Jurisdiction were constituted under a Commission from She Governor, under an Act of the Local Assembly. It was issued, as in this country, from the Crown, but had its sanction. °lle great disadvantage was, that in these Commissions there Was no lawyer named to preside over the Courts, and from the number of respectable persons upon it, few remained to act in the Capacity of jurors, so that the effect was, the jurors were generally comprised of individuals not of the most intelligent class, and not unfrequently were connected With the parties in the matter brought before them.—( Hear. ) '`9o greatest inconvenience followed from the state of the Judicature of the country, and as an instance of that he would mention that a few years ago three slaves were capitally convicted for murdering their master. Nine of the judges advised the Governor that the conviction was good, and the lives of the slaves aould not be spared; the Governor thought otherwise, and upon Lee case being brought before the Courts of this country, the convietien was declared illegal. The consequence of these Lhiege, if they continued, would be the total disrespect of all -Pf• If the state of the judicature in the West Indies was looked into, it would be found to be placed on an exceedingly bad basis. The judges were multiplied in too great slidegree, and many of them would be found to be but ghtly, if at all, conversant with the law. Such a state of tvi gs called for amendment, and to give that amendment was the object of the present Bill. The Noble Lord then theat et some length through several documents, to show alteredls that existed, and the means by which they might be 0.. In one of the documents it was stated that the Court s;at-;)lancory in one of the West India Islands had been prebe Led es a nuisance. By the present Bill, the Courts would constituted of three Judges, the two senior going the Circuit, and the junior one transacting the business at home. By this th means, he thought competent Judges would be obtained, and 0° administration of justice in the colonies properly carried The funds now supplied by the colonies would be quite 07.tient for the purposes of the Bill, and therefore it should 13'3; u necessary to make any provision with respect to that. Prothe measure they would have property protected, and law perly administered. On these grounds, therefore, he now The Earl of RIPON defended the conduct of the Governree„,of which be had been a member, in the course )2* 3' had adopted with reference to this subject, and expressed hie in the measure. 't he Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be committed. The House then adjourned.  -