INJUSTICE CLAIMED

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 112, 5 February 1935, Page 10

INJUSTICE CLAIMED

Motorists’ Convictions

“GLARING CASES” Two cases of injustice to motorists, duetto their being unable to give evidence ■when charged with offences at centres distant from their homes, which were brought to the notice of the Automobile Association (Wellington) last night by the North Island Motor Union, were described by members of the executive of the former body as the most glaring of which they knew. “A motorist residing in Auckland was prosecuted for a motor offence in Mataura (Southland) and convicted and fined,” stated the . union’s letter, “notwithstanding that he had previously sent a declaration to the clerk of the court that he had never drivqn a car in the South Island in his life and liad not been in the South Island for 16 years. It is obvious, of course, that no motorist in his senses would go to the expense of going down to Mataura to defeiid such a case, and in this instance .he was the victim of inadequate and out-of-date legal procedure.” The letter described also the case of a driver who desired to defend the charge brought against him by the police, but upon discovering that four witnesses would be subpoenaed against him and brought from Palmerston North to Hawera and that if he were found guilty he would have to pay their expenses as well as his own, he decided that the most prudent course would be to plead guilty and pay whatever fine was inflicted. The union asked for particulars of any similar cases.

When astonishment was expressed at the conviction of a man who had never driven a car in the South Island a member pointed out that the court was unable to accept the statement to that effect as evidence.