SUPREME COURT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20489, 25 February 1941, Page 8

SUPREME COURT

FIRST 194 i SESSIONS GRAND JURY’S DUTY CHARGES AGAINST MAORIS The first 1941 sessions of the Supreme Court in Gisborne opened this rnorning before Mr. Justice Johnston, with a calendar including five eases for trial, one of which was removed from the trial list on the accused’s decision to plead guilty to the charge of indecent assault alleged against him. Grand Jury The grand jury consisted of J. H. Sunderland, foreman, A. J.. Cox, R. G. Clare, F. V. Carpenter, H. W. T. Buckley, C. E. Brown, D. Hall-Crease, FI. B. Drummond, H. P. Bennett, E. R. Beckett, FI. C. Anderson, F. H. Forge, J. C. Flardy, J. Johnston, R. N. Muir, E. A. Reeves, L. F. Sarten, H. E. Monk, IF. L. Maynard, C. Tune, D. S. Thompson, G. E. Whinray, and M. J. White. In his charge to the grand jury, Mr. Justice Johnston commented upon the probability that the cases placed before it would give very little trouble to the jury. He expressed regret at the high proportion of cases involving sexual charges, all of them against young Maoris. These cases arose, he thought, out of the Maoris’ living conditions and lack of parental control; and if the native race was riot to become degraded, such crimes must be discouraged where they were proved. THtS grand jury had the responsibility of saying whether or - not the accused should stand trial arid he thought that the circumstances disclosed would make that responsibility a fairly easy one to discharge on this occasion. His Honour reviewed the individual cases briefly, pointing out that none of them presented any outstanding features. Common Jury The following members of the common jury were sworn:—Jarries Wright, P. j. Sweeney, S. Walker, J. Barron, J. A. Cornelius, J. W. Clark, Geo. A. Burch, K. W. Bull, R. Forsyth, A. W. Adams, D. M. Flammond, L. IvL Owen, N. Hamilton, N. H. Garland, F. H. G. Galvin, R. J. Francis, J. McLean, M. McCallion, R. J. Morrison, FI. L. Most, J. A. Morrison, H. Moffatt* D. Miller, T. E. McFarlane, A. K. Russell, F. L. V. Pyxe, I. J. Quigley, John Scott, W, H. Dymdrid, D. Johnston, ti. R. Ardern, I. G. Barnes, A. McLeod, J. Flarrisori, J. Hitchcock, A. O’Donnell, D. W. Hardwick, W. W% Owen, V. Lowe, and J. Proudfoot. True Bills True bills were returned by the grand jury in the following cases:Charles Pickering, a young Maori, cnarged with .attempted carnal knowledge arid indecent assault; Frederick Porter, alleged indecent assault; Waiter Jarnes Thompson, alleged unlawfUl carnal knowledge; Pita Ngatiti, alleged indecent assault; and- Robert Henry Farmer and John Nelson, _ alieged breaking and entering, with intent to commit a crime. i The grand jury added a recommendation that His Honour’s comments in respect of sexual case's among Maoris’ should be rioted by ilf# elders of the Maori race, arid that some better standard of control over young people of the race shoulq be aimed at.

His Honour stated that lie fully agreed with the jury’s recommendation, which he would be pleased to convey to the correct quarters.