“HEAR YE!”

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 31, 31 October 1929, Page 17

“HEAR YE!”

SELECTING THE JURY INCIDENTS IN SUPREME ’ COURT “Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! All manner of persons having anything to do at this circuit sittings of the Supreme Court ot New Zealand, Wellington district, draw near and give your attendance! God save the King and His Honour, the Kings Judge.” With these words, spoken by the Court Crier, the quarterly criminal sessions of the Supreme Court are opened. This preliminary announcement made, the crier continues: “Hear Ye! Hear Ye; Hear Ye! All manner of people are strictly commanded to keep silence, and all ye who are returned to try the issue found between our Sovereign Lord, the King, and anyone whom you may have in charge, answer to your names, and save, your fines I” , ~ . Silence descendsoupon the. Court, ana then starts the business of calling the Grand Jury, and later the common jury. The duties of the former are to decide whether the various cases on the list are to go before the common jury, or whether they shall be struck out. If, in then opinion there is a case to answer, they bring in what is known as a true bill if in their opinion there is no case to answer they return a ‘ no bill. It is seldom that juries are empanelled without someone failing to attend, or without one or two applications for exemption from service being made. Tuesday was no exception. When the names were called at the opening of the sessions, it was found that William McDonald and Henry Charles South—had failed to put in an appearance. The Chief Justice (Hon. M. Myers) ordered that each man should be fined £5. . . ■ . - Did Not Hear His Name. McDonald later came before the Chief Justice and explained that he had been present all the time, but had not heard his name called. His Honour accepted the explanation, but added that he was not going to let the man off entirely. Because, McDonald did not respond to his name, remarked His Honour, it meant that someone else bad to take his place on the grand jury, and it was probably just as inconvenient for the other man — probably more so. His Honour reduced the fine to £2, and pointed out that men summoned to attend as grand jurors must understand their obligations. Frank Norman Spackman, who failed to appear when his name was called for service' on the common jury was fined £2. Might Fall Asleep. Four men applied for exemption from service on the common jury, two of them having their applications granted Without any trouble. The third applicant handed a note to the Chief Justice, who, after reading it, remarked: “Your duties keep you at work every night, do they?” The man replying in the affirmative, His Honour asked him if he was frightened of going to sleep on the jury. The applicant: “I ought to be asleep n °His Honour : “Very well, we won’t keep you. We don’t want any jurors who go to sleep.” Fruit Needs Attention. The fourth applicant asked for exemption on the ground that he had just landed a shipment of fruit which needed his personal attention. His Honour allowed him to go for the day, adding, “To-mor-row we’ll see how your fruit is getting on.” Absentees and applicants for exemption from the common jury having been disposed of, the Court settled down to business, the first thing being the swear-ing-in of “twelve good men and true” to decide the first case that came bn for hearing. _________