lt, the practice and procedure of the
Court varies throughout the Dominion.

_(e) Separate Court Buildings Not Used_

The Act also contemplated that, when a Children's Court was established,
it should not be held in an ordinary Court building. There is a
provision that if a Court has not been established in any district the
proceedings should be in a room other than the ordinary Court Room.

Serious complaints were made to the Committee that some children in the
Hutt cases had to remain in the precincts of the Magistrate's Court at
Lower Hutt awaiting an opportunity for the cases as regards them to be
called. After the children and parents had waited about for a long time
most of these cases were adjourned till another date, when again much
the same sort of thing happened. One special purpose of the Children's
Court was defeated by the fact that the Children's Court in that city
was held in the ordinary Court building.

_(f) Should Proceedings be Open to the Press_

There may be reasons why a Children's Court should be open to the public
even although the publication of names is prohibited. Under section 30
press reporters may not attend a sitting of the Children's Court unless
"specially permitted or required by the Court to be present". It has
often happened that a series of offences has created considerable
apprehension in the public mind. On investigation they have been found
to be due to the work of a gang or to the influence of some definite
adverse factor in the community. The public has a right to know how
child offenders have been dealt with. The Committee does not recommend
any alteration in the provision prohibiting the publication of the name
of any child or of any name or particulars likely to lead to
identification. Subject to this, it is desirable that reporters should
be allowed to attend. The Court should not be a completely secret
chamber, the decisions of which have to be gathered by rumour or by the
seeking of information through interviews away from the Court.

_(g) No Follow-up Procedure_

When children are placed "under supervision" there is not any procedure
whereby reports are submitted to the Court or other body concerning
their welfare or their doings. Again, when children are committed to the
care of the State or are under supervision as a result of delinquency
they may lawfully be transferred from one institution to another or may
be boarded out in foster-homes without any intim