REPORTING OF COURT CASES

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28836, 5 March 1959, Page 18

REPORTING OF COURT CASES

“Bulwark Against Police State”

(New Zealand Press AUociotton) HAMILTON, March 4. “The system allowing tree publication over the general field of legal processes is deeply rooted in our system of justice and has weighty reasons to commend it.” said Mr Justice Turner at the annual conference in Hamilton today of . the Federation of New Zealand Justices’ Associations. He was summarising an address on the publication of Court proceedings which he gave to the conference. Mr Justice Turner said the system of free publication was the negation of the police state, and the . chief guarantee and bulwark against it. Free publication assisted impartially and consistency, discouraged perjury and encouraged new and perhaps vital evidence to come forward at the last minute. "It is only in exceptional cases that the Courts will view suppression of their proceedings with any content,” he said. "Domestic proceeding and Children's Courts may furnish examples. “The suppression of divorce proceedings ought to be regarded as an experiment only which must be carefully > and anxiously examined before it can be pronounced successful. “Any further restriction of freedom to publish should be made carefully and gradually and after much thought.”