CROWN WITNESSES

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 August 1929, Page 10

CROWN WITNESSES

JUDGE’S HINT TO LAWYERS. (Special to ‘‘Star.’’) - AUCKLAND, July 31. In the case in which Joseph Silver, 29, was charged with forgery and uttering, Clarence O’Halloran, the principal witness for the Crown, stated he had not signed the document produced in Court, authorising Silver to collect money in witness’s name. He had been asked to sign a document in Mr. J. Y. W. Dickson’s (counsel for accused) office by his clerk, but he had refused to do so, saying he had given a statement to the police. Judge Ostler: Mr. Dickson, I hope you realise it is not a wise practice to allow law clerks to approach witnesses for the Crown, and get them to try to make statements contrary to evidence they have given. Mr. Dickson: It has been ruled by Judges that there is no such thing as a witness for the Crown. The man came into the office and saw my clerk. His Honor: I’m not suggesting you saw him. It would be a very dangerous thing for counsel to do. When your clerk saw that the man was a witness for the Crown, he should have turned him out of the office. We have seen the unfortunate result of something of the kind in the recent Christchurch case.