THE APPEAL COURT

Evening Star, Issue 19520, 30 March 1927, Page 6

THE APPEAL COURT

A SOLICITOR'S AFFAIRS

LAW SOCIETY'S APPLICATION

[Feu United Press Association.]

WELLINGTON. March 30.

Tho Court of Appeal heard this morning an application by the New Zealand Law Society to strike Frederick James M'.Kenna, of Patoa, off the rolls as a solicitor of tho Supreme Court. The facts, as shown by tho auditor’s report, are that in March, 1326, his trust account showed a deficiency of £SBO. He also admitted the forging of some of his clients’ receipts, and also the falsification of entries ip his books. He made no attempt to hide his position, and gave every assistance in endeavoring to clear it up. Mr Treadwell, on behalf of M'Konna, stated that he could not under the circumstances attempt to convince the court that M'Kenna was a fit and proper person to be practising as a solicitor, but there were some extenuating circumstances in M'Kcnna’s case. M'Kenna at the age of seventeen went to the war, and saw two years’ service. On his return from the war ho studied for his examination, and at twenty-three was admitted as a solicitor. Tho whole trouble was that M'Kenna had had no suitable experience to warrant him practising ns a solicitor. He was for some time in tho Public Trust Office, which did not give him the necessary legal experience to further him in his profession. Other than this he had been only a year or so in a law cilice in a country town. His family ivere people of means, and it could not bo suggested that his actions w r ere for the purposes of gain. The purpose of tho forgeries and false entries was not to defraud his clients, but solely to put bis books in order for tho Audit Department. So far as was known nouo of his clients had suffered any loss whatever. M'Kenna himself being the only loser by his actions. . . . Tho court reserved decision until Saturday morning.