Six months in the West-Indies, in 1825

Page 290

276

BARBADOS.

no charge nor intend any insinuation whatever of corrupt practices; but giving them full credit for integrity of purpose, I must say that they stand in a situation which, according t o the spirit of the British Constitution, incapacitates them from exercising any judicial authority. Their ignorance of, or shallow acquaintance with, the duties of their office must either subject their decisions to the influence of the Attorney-General, or may cause them, in moments of wrongheadedness or passion, to violate every form of law, and trample upon every principle of justice. The evil is not so great in the other colonies, because in them a single judge presides in court, and preserves a certain uniformity of practice and interpretation. But few, if any, of these have been educated to the profession; and though the talents of one or two of them are very distinguished and their characters unimpeachable, yet their legal knowledge of course is not of that admitted weight which can alone render the administration of criminal and civil justice satisfactory to the community or even equitable in itself. It would probably be difficult to change this system entirely, as many colonial interests are connected with it; but if the field were free, and the whole matter res integra, it would be easy to demonstrate the general and lasting advantages deducible from the adoption of the Ionian or East Indian plan. An English barrister of a reasonable standing, with a competent salary, and a strict disability


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.