BENCH AND SOLICITOR

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 March 1933, Page 8

BENCH AND SOLICITOR

“RUDE TO WITNESS.”

LONDON, January 25. During the hearing of an arson charge at Newcastle yesterday, the bench accused Mr Lucien Fior, a London solicitor, of being rude to a witness.

Mr Fior asked a fire assessor whether he had ever been employed by a certain firm.

He replied that he had not, whereupon Mr Fior remarked: “Perhaps that was the company’s fortune.” The chairman (Mr Joseph Robinson) objected, and warned Mr Fior that, the magistrates ' would not tolerate “rude remarks and gratuitous insults to witnesses.”

“At the last hearing.” the chairman continued, "you passed a. very rude remark to a witness in reference to his face. It. is very difficult to get witnesses to give evidence in a. criminal court, and if it gets forth to tho outside world that they are to be insulted it will be still more difficult.”

“It. is the first occasion on which 1 have ever been accused of insolence,” replied Mr Fior. “On the last occasion the court does not. appreciate that I was very kind because the man in question was deliberately laughing.”

“lon told the man he had an unfortunate face,” said the chairman. “If that is; not. gratuitous insult and a rude remark, we, in the North country, do not know what rude remarks are. Get on with the case.”