§ MR. OSMOND WILLIAMS (Merionethshire)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if his attention has been drawn to the utterance of the Chief Justice in the Supreme Court of the Transvaal on 21st October last, as to the want of knowledge shown by magistrates of the elementary principles of law, and the results thereby entailed; and whether he proposes taking any action in the matter.
§ * MR. LYTTELTONI am aware that the Chief Justice made observations on some of the magistrates of the nature referred to. I understand that changes are to be made in the method of appointing magistrates, with the object of securing a higher standard of legal knowledge. It must be remembered, however, that in the Transvaal the duties of a magistrate are administrative as well as judicial.