ABORTION CASES
ATTITUDE OF JURIES
COMMENT BY CHIEF JUSTICE
Comment on the incidence of aborr tion in modern life and the general attitude of juries was made in the Supreme Court today by the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers), when counsel appearing for a woman who had pleaded guilty to permitting the unlawful use 6f an instrument and at* tempting to conceal a birth said the prisoner had not elected trial by jury. . J. ■
His Honour: No jury, however" sympathetic, could have avoided convicting. After all, the generality of juries are honest. I grant you, in some cases you probably find —and they have been found—that there are one or two, or two or three men who refuse to convict on evidence -which leaves no manner of doubt in a certain class of case. I don't see how any jury could have refused to convict in this case, however sympathetic.
After submissions by Mr. A. T. Young, who appeared for the prisoner, his; Honour said: "It is not a question of punishing this girl so much as the effect on others if she is not punished. One doesn't like talking homilies and that of thing, but this is a very serious aspect of our modern life and conditions."
The case was adjourned until tomorrow, the prisoner's name being suppressed in the meantime.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19401126.2.118
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 128, 26 November 1940, Page 9
Word Count
222ABORTION CASES Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 128, 26 November 1940, Page 9
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