Battle, Hawthorne D.

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Volume 60 Issue 2 Article 5 February 1958 President's Page Hawthorne D. Battle West Virginia State Bar Association Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/wvlr Recommended Citation Hawthorne D. Battle, President's Page, 60 W. Va. L. Rev. (1958). Available at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/wvlr/vol60/iss2/5 This The West Virginia Bar Association is brought to you for free and open access by the WVU College of Law at The Research Repository @ WVU. It has been accepted for inclusion in West Virginia Law Review by an authorized editor of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact ian.harmon@mail.wvu.edu. THE WEST VIRGINIA BAR ASSOCIATIONPRESIDENT'S PAGEFor many years the members of the Bar of this state have beenacutely aware of the deficiencies in our judicial system. We areoften criticized by the public because of the expense and delayincident to litigation. On numerous occasions in the past the Barhas with little success made strenuous efforts to improve the situa-tion. Now, as never before, we have the opportunity thrust uponus to accomplish a great deal to ameliorate this condition.Our 1957 Legislature, in Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 5,provided for the establishment of a West Virginia Commission onConstitutional Revision. The preamble to that resolution is especial-ly applicable to Article VIII of our Constitution entitled "JudicialDepartment":"WHEREAS, The present West Virginia Constitution wasadopted in one thousand eight hundred seventy-two undersocial, economic and political conditions differing greatly fromthose now existing; and"WHEREAS, Since its adoption our Constitution has under-gone no substantial revision, and has been amended in rela-tively few particulars; and"WHEREAS, Many of the original provisions have throughpassage of time become obsolete; and"WHEREAS, It is generally recognized that a fundamentalcharter of government adopted by the people so long ago mustof necessity be in need of modernization by substantial amend-ment or by extensive or complete revision if it is to serve ade-quately the demands of present day society for the most effec-tive and responsible administration of governmental affairs; and"WHEREAS, It will require detailed and thorough study todetermine the extent of the changes that are needed to ada tour Constitution to modem conditions, and to determine temost practicable method of bringing about such of thesechanges as may be capable of achievement at the present time;therefore, be it ....The Commission has been established. Former governorHomer A. Holt, one of the finest lawyers in the state, is the chair-man. He has assured this Association that the Commission wouldwelcome our assistance in respect to the revision of Article VIII. Wehave appointed a committee composed of eminent lawyers to assist1Battle: President's PagePublished by The Research Repository @ WVU, 1958PRESIDENT'S PAGE 181the Commission: Chairman, Mr. Harry Scherr, Jr.; Vice Chairman,Mr. Stanley C. Higgins, Jr.; and Messrs. Kemble White, E. GlennRobinson, George G. Bailey, James P. Robinson, and Zane GreyStaker. This committee will be a real working committee and themembers of our profession throughout the state are urged to conveytheir ideas and suggestions to the chairman or any committeemember.Certainly never before in my time have we had such an op-portunity, such a challenge. Let's all put our shoulders to thewheel and get this job done in a manner which will serve the endsof justice and will create a system of which we, and those whocome after us, may be proud. All too long have the lawyers of ourstate, the eminent members of our judiciary, and the public at largesuffered from an archaic judicial system. Now it is our responsibil-ity, our duty, to do something about it.Hawthorne D. Battle.2West Virginia Law Review, Vol. 60, Iss. 2 [1958], Art. 5https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/wvlr/vol60/iss2/5

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