AFFILIATION CASES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 150, 20 March 1936, Page 2

AFFILIATION CASES

Recommendations of the Justices’ Association Alterations to the procedure in afliliation eases so as to curtail ibc nervous excitement of women and also to provide for the suppression of the name of the woman concerned were favoured by tlie conference of tlie Federation of New Zealand Justices’ Associations yesterday. A remit from the Canterbury association proposed that the Minister of Justice be asked to give consideration to tlie question of the holding of affiliation cases in a private court in order to curtail the anxiety and nervous excitement of females appearing in a public court. A clause was added suggesting that consideration also be given to tlie advisability of the name of the woman concerned being suppressed iu all cases of the first appearance. After some discussion, the remit was carried and was referred to tlie executive for redrafting.

Mr. W. A. Ott (Southland) said that an instance had occurred in Invercargill where a girl had lost her employment because her name, altliougl' suppressed in the local newspapers, had appeared in a northern journal. In many cases the girls concerned came from reputable homes, and their names could lie suppressed without defeating the ends of justice.

Mr. tV. L. Kennedy (Taranaki) said that under the terms of the remit the name of tlie man would also be suppressed. and he was the one whose name should be published. Mr. A. Lawrence Gee (South Canterbury) said that if the cases were dealt v.itii in a private court no names would be published, and it was very desirable Unit the name of the man should be published to warn other women.