PRIVACY IN COURTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 56, 7 March 1934, Page 5

PRIVACY IN COURTS.

MAGISTRATES' DISCRETION.

SELDOM EXERCISED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON", this day. Stating that magistrates conducting Police Court cases had P° w «™ of d cretion in ordering the Court to cleared of the public, but that generally they were so accustomed to hearing details of cases where that action was necessary that they seldom exercised their power, Mrs. H. M. Chatfield, at last night's meeting of the Wellington Justices' Association, appealed for this to be done much more often in main tenance and similar domestic cases. She said it was from many points of view a bad thing that the type of publie audience that was usually F'esen should not *oe excluded, and she was strongly of opinion that there should be increased privacy in the Courts. Also there was need of women police in New Zealand. When the members were discussing remits by branches to be submitted to the coming New Zealand Conference of Justices in Auckland, it w«i decided to support one recommending the inn tit u tion of women police for the protection of oirls. There was no remit concerning privacy in Courts and no action taken at the meeting in that comh~ t&MW • " v -