TYPED EVIDENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 June 1936, Page 9

TYPED EVIDENCE

CONVICTIONS QUASHED.

LONDON, May 2.

The convictions of three men sentenced at Oldham Quarter Sessions for housebreaking, were quashed yesterday by Lord Hewart and Justices du Parcq and Goddard in the Court of Criminal Appeal. The court held that because of a defect in the piactice adopted in taking the depositions, the appellants, Arthur Gee. John Bibby and J-anics Dunscombe, had had no lawful trial. They had each been sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment, and the court now ordered their release. Mr. Justice Goddard said that when tho men were committed for trial, the Chief Constable took the evidence of witnesses. He had the statements typed, and copies were supplied to the Magistrates and their clerk. The witnesses were again examined in court, and their evidence checked with the typed statements. The Statute, however, was implicit that the evidence of witnesses must be taken down in writing in court by either the Magistrates or their clerk in the presence of the accused, and read over to, and signed by the wit-, nesses.