ALLEGED CRIMINAL LIBEL.
THE CHARGE AGAINST WILFRED BADGER.
When delivering hie charge to the Grand Jury yesterday, Mr Justice Denniston made reference to the case against Wilfred Badger, a solicitor of the Court, for criminal libel. The charge, his Honour said, was one which could give the Grand Jury no possible difficulty. The charge wae that Mr Badger had maliciously and unlawfully written and published a letter to Mr and Mrs J. H. Brett, containing libellous references to Mr H. Slater. The important part of it was that the accused had charged Mr Slater with having, in effect, forged a warrant tj sue. To charge a man with forging was a libel, and all the jury had to do m the case was to decide whether or not the matter alleged waeprima facie a libel, and whether it was prored that the accused hod published it. Once satisfied on these two points, the Grand Jury had nothing to do with any defence which might be suggested. The defence must be pleaded before a petty jury, and the duty of the Grand Jury, if satisfied on the two points, was simply to find a true bill, and leave the defendant to bring before a petty jury any defence which he might have to what was prima facie a libel.
Subsequently the Grand Jury brought in a true bill.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume LX, Issue 11581, 12 May 1903, Page 3
Word Count
227
ALLEGED CRIMINAL LIBEL.
Press, Volume LX, Issue 11581, 12 May 1903, Page 3
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