CHARGE AGAINST BARRISTER

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 261, 31 July 1929, Page 10

CHARGE AGAINST BARRISTER

POSITION OF CROWN LAW OFFICE A denial that the police in Christchurch were acting on the advice of the Cr vn Law Office in bringing the recent case against Mr. C. S. Thomas, barrister, of Christchurch, was made by the Attorney-General (the Hon. T. K. Sidey) iu an interview yesterday. Mr. Sidey said that his attention had been drawn to a statement in a recent issue of a Christchurch newspaper headed “Crown Law Office is Taken to Task." It was there stated that the charges against. Mr. Thomas, which were recently dismissed by the Magistrate (Mr. E. C. Levvey) at Christchurch, were brought on the advice of the Crown Law Office. The statement was absolutely without foundation. In laying informations for alleged offences under (he Crimes Act and other statutes affecting the general criminal law, said Mr. Sidey, the police acted on their own responsibility. It was not the practice to consult the Crown Law Office except when an opinion was sought on some purely legal issue or when, by statute, Hie leave of the Attorney-General or Solicitor-General was required for the laying of an information. No distinction was made between solicitors and any other class of person. In the case referred to, the Crown Law Office was not consulted, and the statement in the newspaper, as previously stated, was quite incorrect.