CAPITAL CASES AND PRESS REPORTS

Evening Star, Issue 19840, 13 April 1928, Page 9

CAPITAL CASES AND PRESS REPORTS

BETTER THE EVIDENCE THAN RUMOR GROWN PROSECUTOR'S VIEW [Pee United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, April 13. At the legal. conference, discussing Llie suggestion that the publication of evidence in the lower court in capital cases should be forbidden, Mr A. j. Donnelly (Crown Solicitor, of Christchurch) said that persons accused ot a spectacular crime, one that carried news .value, did not get the same lair trial as persons charged with a minor mine. That result was brought about by the activities of the newspapers. Tiie difficulty which confronted counsel defending an accused person was that of dissociating the- rumor and gossip ot the street and newspapers from the evidence which was legally admissible against the accused, it the remit were agreed to lie feared that the publication 'of rumor and gossip would be increased to the prejudice of the accused. There was no use taking an impracticable view of these things, and he could not quite see how the operations of the newspapers were to be restricted without interfering with their proper liberty and sphere of action. The remit was withdrawn.