MAREO CASE

Evening Star, Issue 25768, 15 April 1946, Page 4

MAREO CASE

COURT OF APPEAL HEARING NEW COUNSEL SANCTIONED ON LAW ARGUMENT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 15. Continuing the Mareo appeal case to-day, the Court of Appeal invited counsel to address them on the question whether on the.appeal on the ground that the verdict was against the weight of evidence, the fact that accused did not himself give evidence could be matter of comment in the Court of Appeal. Counsel for the defence, Mr Sexton, asked that additional counsel be allowed to address the court on the question of law so arising. The Chief Justice, Sir M. Myers, said that the application was an unusual one, but in the circumstances of this case legal argument upon it would be taken at the close of the case on the facte, after the reply of appellant's counsel. Mr R. E. Harding, of Wellington, the counsel mentioned in the application, would therefore he allowed to address the court as for ,the appellant, and Mr Meredith, for the Crown, would reply. His Honour said: " The court wishes to emphasise the fact that this admission of new'counsel must not be considered in any way a precedent, but as an unusual concession arising in the exceptional circumstances." Mr Meredith, counsel for the Crown, continuing his submissions on the facts, said that though the medical witnesses for the Crown had had to found their conclusions on evidence given mainly by Freda Starke, he had also put into court the statements of Miss Starke made to the police, in order to show that the evidence she gave, and on which the medical witnesses relied, was in' accordance with statements previously made by her.