VAGARIES OF JUSTICES

Evening Star, Issue 14226, 27 November 1909, Page 2

VAGARIES OF JUSTICES

MR JUSTICE CHAPMAN’S COMMENT

[Per United Press Association - .1

WELLINGTON, November 27. Peculiar developments occurred in a case in the Supremo Court yesterday. Two prisoners, who had pleaded guilty to a charge of theft, appeared for sentence. Mr Skerrelt, K.C., on behalf of the prisoners. said there was grave reason to think from the depositions pul in that the accused had inadvertently pleaded guilty, 'file accused were arrested at Raetihi on a charge of shooting two cattle belonging to a man named Chapman, which they alleged were wild cattle, in the bush on "the outskirts of the district. They were tried before three justices two days later, and were not represented by counsel, being unable to obtain anyone. * In the affidavits the accused stated that they pleaded guilty to shooting wild cattle, ’which the chairman of the Bench said amounted to a plea of not guilty, and be advised them to plead guilty and they would bo dealt with more leniently. Mr Justice Chapman said the matter was very important, for if the facts were as stated the justices and the police had mistaken their duty, and there might be occasion for him to make representation to the Government to have a legislative cliango made in the Act, giving power to judges, when prisoners pleaded guilty, to order, if necessary, a further trial for tbo investigation of the evidence. The justices and the police at. Baetihi will be brought to Wellington next Wednesday. /