BETTER late than never, the Government has at last decided to throw its weight behind the appointment of a professional administrator to ensure the efficient management of the judiciary. As the Chief Secretary put it this week, the judiciary needs a new management culture. It has taken too long for the Government to acknowledge the lack of administrative skills first pinpointed in 1986 by the consultant Mr Peter Robinson, brought in by the then Chief Justice Sir Denys Roberts. It is a measure of the pervasive complacency of much of the past decade that Mr Robinson's recommendation was not acted on sooner. The prompting of the Legislative Council has finally pushed the Government to take this first step, which will be welcomed most of all by the members of the bench, who are weary of criticism of their performance standards when they know the fault lies elsewhere. More modern recording methods and sensible time-management will help to lay the old ''culture'' to rest, and help to attract new talent to fill the gaps that will occur before 1997.
