PUBLIC APOLOGY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 107, 2 November 1937, Page 10

PUBLIC APOLOGY

IMPROPER REMARKS

A JUDGE'S WITHDRAWAL

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, October 28.

A protest against a Judge's, conduct by witnesses who had given evidence before him led to the intervention of the State Attorney-General and the subsequent uncommon course of a public apology by the Judge. The president of the Town-Planning Association (Mr. Bertram Ford), in announcing to the association that he had/complained, tq the Attorney-Gene-ral about the way he was treated recently in court by Judge "Sheridan, said that Judge Sheridan had grossly insulted the" association) in a court case. "I attended the District - Court some days ago as an expert witness in a flats case," said Mr. Ford. "When I went into the box, Judge Sheridan said: 'You are a member of the TownPlanning Association. That body carries no weight at all. No one pays any attention to.it.' The Judge made a continuous series of rude interjections. I consider that he abused his privilege. It was a gross insult to a great public1 body. To a woman : witness he said:' 'You give-me a headache.' This sort of thing is a public scandal. The witnesses were so indignant that we .decided to take the matter up." A day or two later the AttorneyGeneral (Mr. Manning, K.C.) issued for publication'-a statement which, he said, Judge Sheridan had prepared. In this,. the Judge referred to Mr. Ford and another witness, .Mr.. C. S. Thane, who had also complained. He said: "I recognise it was improper for me to. have made the remarks of which Mr. Thane complains, and as.he.takes it as a reflection on himself, I regret that I used those terms, and I regret that Mr. Thane was caused pain in consequence. With reference to Mr. Ford's complaint, I wish to state that when he gave his name, and stated that he was a member of the TownPlanning Association of New South Wales, counsel asked 'What body was that?' and I stated 'That is a body of which no one. takes notice.' This was an expression of opinion, facetious certainly, but in making the remark I had no desire to hurt the feelings of Mr. Ford or any member of the association."

While Mr. Thane expressed satisfaction with the Judge's expression of regret, Mr. Ford said,1 in an interview, that he was not satisfied, and asked th* Attorney-General to see that a remark was withdrawn "which was a public insult to the Town-Planning Association." Peace was established when the Attorney-General assured Mr. Ford that Judge Sheridan's statement was intended -as an unreserved withdrawal pf remarks about the association.