LIBEL AND SLANDER ACTIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 140, 15 June 1911, Page 3

LIBEL AND SLANDER ACTIONS.

CLAIMS FOR DAMAGES PAIL. KELSON, 14 th June. "In the Supreme Court action, Richardson v. Nelson Eveuing Mail, v, claim for £3000 damages for alleged libel, the

jury returned a verdict for the defendants. Plaintiff's counsel intimated his intention of moving to set the verdict aside. The case of Effie N. Richardson, , widow, v. C. J. Harley, solicitor, a claim for £3000 for alleged slander, arose under the eamo circumstances ac the former action. Mrs. Richardeon was the defendant in an action brought by the ) Waimea County Council in the S.M. Court for encroaching on a public road. Air. Ha-rley appeared for th& council, ii and during the case the Crown grant of [ Mrs. Richardson "a property was put in ( containing a plan. Mr. fiarloy mspec- , ted th© exhibit and made a remark to L th© effect that it had been altered since » he- had last eeen it, tho reply suggeet- • ing that the plaintiff in the present ac- ■ tion had tampered with the document. ; The Registrar of Deeds, afc the Magk- ■ trate'e request, compared the grant with i th© copy in his possession, and pro- > nounced that no alteration had been made. Th© Magistrate thereupon said the statement should be withdrawn, > which, however, Mr. Harley did not do, > and Mrs. Richardson proceeded for slander. Mi I.'1 .' Jellicoe appeared for the 1 plaintiff, and Mr. Maginnity for the de- ' fend ant. When the plaintiff's case 1 closed,- Mr. Maginnity moved for a non- i < suit on the grounds that a solicitor was ■ protected by privilege in statements | made, in th© course of an action. After j 1 hearing lengthy argument, his Honour upheld the contention and non-suited ' the plaintiff with costs.