DIVORCE PETITIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 216, 12 September 1935, Page 8

DIVORCE PETITIONS.

CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE

STATEMENT BY JUDGE

The necessity of witnesses who give corroborative evidence iu divorce proceedings having a persona] knowledge of the facts to which they testify was stressed by Mr. Justice Calian at the Supreme Court this morning.

His Honor had dealt with an unde

fended divorce which he had adjourned for further evidence after a partial hearing at Hamilton. "It is perhaps desirable to say why I put petitioner to the

rouble of calling additional evidence," aid his Honor. "I do not. know if this niseonception arises in Auckland, but I nve met it more than one in Hamilton. 'orroborntive evidence always

required by tli^ . Court, whatever tha grounds of the divorce. 1 found that the tendency more than 'once was to meet these requirements in this way. A witness who we* intimate with the petitioner would say tli.u the parties were living apart, but the witness had never been in the house of the petitioner and did not know from his personal knowledge that the parties were living apart."

His Honor went on to say '.hut the petitioner and the witness had frequently discussed the cm* and the witness told a story of the domestic unhappiness as it had been related to him by the petitioner. That, said the judge, was not corroborative evidence.