VERDICTS OF SYMPATHY
LEGISLATION PENDING TO OBVIATE [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, October 19. Brief reference to the possible effect of pending legislation upon claims for damages was made in the Supreme Court to-day by the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers), when the question was raised of the effect of a pension upon the assessment of damages in a case in which a woman plaintiff had lost her husband in a motor accident. “ 1 will say this,” His Honour said. ‘‘There may possibly be fewer verdicts influenced by sympathy, and one cannot help feeling that there have been a good many of them. There has sometimes been a tendency towards a sympathy verdict in a case where the proof required was not always forthcoming.” In the course of his summing up in the same case, His Honour said that the tendency towards sympathy in certain cases was a natural one, and it was one which judges as well as juries should guard against. They all knew that certain legislation was.pending which would make verdicts of sympathy less likely because provision might in any case be made for the parties affected.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19381020.2.146
Bibliographic details
Evening Star, Issue 23093, 20 October 1938, Page 21
Word Count
190VERDICTS OF SYMPATHY Evening Star, Issue 23093, 20 October 1938, Page 21
Using This Item
Allied Press Ltd is the copyright owner for the Evening Star. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Allied Press Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in