The Legal Environment of Salmond's Time

Abstract

This paper examines through multiple lenses the world of the lawyer in early 20th century New Zealand. It considers, and places in their social and political context, the major issues with which Parliament and the courts were dealing, notably issues to do with alienation of Māori land and attempts to prohibit the liquor trade, but also looking at law reform by private members' Bills. The reported decisions of the courts are analysed to consider the areas of frequent litigation, particularly land law (including Māori land cases), administrative and public law cases thrown up by the prohibition question and the very large volume of torts cases. It then examines the position of the judiciary and the courts, paying particular attention to agitation by the profession for increased judicial salaries and to the debates about the role of the Privy Council following its judgment in Wallis's case. It concludes with a discussion of the organisation and membership of the legal profession, the state of legal education and the development of a body of locally-generated legal literature.