COURT OF APPEAL

Evening Star, Issue 19386, 21 October 1926, Page 14

COURT OF APPEAL

A SOLICITOR’S AFFAIRS [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, October 20. Tbs Court of Appeal dealt this morning with a motion by the Law Society to strike Wilfred Alec Black, solicitor, practising at Auckland, off the rolls of the society. Mr Von Haast. for the Law Society, stated that Black's trust account had not boon in a satisfactory condition since March, 1924, notwithstanding requests made by the society to liavo matters straightened out. Since then, however, the bulk of the irregularities had been rectified. The main charge against Black was that he treated as his own £SOO in the trust estate of his late wife, under which ho was entitled to one-tnird and his children to the rest. In March, 1925, Black’s share of tho income was overdrawn to the extent of over £7B. Mr Perry, for Black, stated that as soon as the irregularities were pointed out to him he did straighten them out as quickly as was reasonably possible. Black was unaware of them, and the matter of the £SOO in trust had now been rectified, while Mr Singer, of Auckland, held £lB7 in trust for Black for making up the other deficiencies. Black was a man of about 45 years of age, and he had been in considerable confusion and worry, as his first and shortly afterwards his second xvife died, and he had had domestic difficulties since Kia third marriage. The only difficulties with the accounts were duo to confusion caused hy worry. The Chief Justice, in giving judgment, suspended Black till next session of the Court of Appeal in 1027, and in the meantime Black had to give a satisfactory account of his moneys. The motion _ for striking him off was therefore adjourned until nest session, and tho decree nisi would then bo made absolute unless a satisfactory account were rendered in the meantime.