AN EXAMPLE WORTH FOLLOWING. .

Timaru Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 1819, 30 July 1895, Page 4

AN EXAMPLE WORTH FOLLOWING. .

The Austrian Minister of Justice has published a decree which gi\ : 0, /.viieral satisfaction. The Minister says that he has lately, noticed that, during proceedings m the courts tl^ private lives of witnesses and other persons are unnecessarily exposed. Questions are frequently addressed by the Judge and by counsel to the parties, concerned which have absolutely no bearing on the case bi'f ore the Court. The Minister declares that the sanctity of private and family life should be Bpared as much as possible, and that it isthe.duty of the Court to see that this is done. The case which no doubt prompted the Minister to move m this matter was a very remarkable one, and called forth universal indignation. A -woman, with a little girl, sought out her lover m a publichouse late at night to ask him fqr a little money, as she was m great distress. The fellow, a student, pushed her out of the place with such violence .that she fell. A watchmaker named Koellmer, who was passing, called him a coward, with the result that the student sued him for "offending his honourj" and had the courage to attempt to prove m court that, the woman's character was such that to. knock her about m the street ; was not cowardly. The poor woman became so excited when her private life (was revealed m court that she appealed to the judge to protect her, and reminded him that she was not the accused, ; btit only a witness. The judge ordered her removal, and she ran up to a passage window, and tried to fling herself out, being only prevented by a usher. The judge m the meantime actually decided that she really waß a woman who could .be knocked about without cowardice, and sentenced the watchmaker to a fine of 25 florins.