Queen's Counsel restoration pointless, meaningless
Queen's Counsel restoration pointless,
meaningless
"With the opposition promising to restore the title Senior Counsel for lawyers if re-elected, the restoration of the Queen's Counsel title is pointless, meaningless and regressive" said Lewis Holden, chair of the Republican Movement.
The Lawyers and Conveyancers Amendment Bill, which restores the title, passed its second reading in Parliament last night.
"The only countries
using the title now are New Zealand, the United Kingdom and
a handful of other current and former British colonies. Most
of the Commonwealth's jurisdictions - the majority of which
are now republics - use the title Senior Counsel."
"The
restoration of the title is meaningless symbolism, and will
likely give it a short swan song before it's abolished
again. The whole process is an expensive waste of time"
concluded Mr Holden.
ENDS
The
Republican Movement is a network of New Zealanders who want
our head of state to be elected by New Zealanders - either
directly or indirectly.
We are committed
to:
• involving all New Zealanders in the republic
debate;
• providing relevant and reliable
information;
• focusing on ideas, not
personalities;
• winning a referendum to establish the
republic;
Creating a republic does not require any change
to the Treaty of Waitangi, flag or Commonwealth membership.
For more information, see our website: www.republic.org.nz