CHOICE CRITICISED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21978, 23 March 1946, Page 5

CHOICE CRITICISED

AUSTRALIAN JUDGE TOKYO TRIALS PRESIDENT

INVESTIGATIONS RECALLED (10 a..m) BRISBANE, March 23. Because Sir William Webb, Chief Justice of Queensland, had investigated Japanese atrocities and prepared reports about them for Australia and the British Governments his appointment as a judicial officer in the trials of major Japanese war criminals might place him in a false and invidious position, said Mr. Justice Brennan in the Rockhampton Supreme Court. “By his recommendation to appoint Sir William Webb, the Minister of External Affairs, Dr. H. V. Evatt may prove to have done Australia a great disservice,” he said. “Sir William Webb had prepared several reports on atrocities and, following his unexpected return from Tokyo, had gone to Canberra to deliver a further report prepared by himself and Mr. Justice Mansfield. Yet within a week he intended to return to Tokyo to abjudicate on cases listed against major Japanese war criminals.” Mr. Justice Brennan likened the position to that of the detective who had investigated crimes presiding as a judicial officer to try other offenders of the same class.

Replying to Mr. Justice Brennan’s criticism, Dr. Evatt stated that Sir William Webb had not investigated any cases which would come before him in Tokyo. He had been selected by General MacArthur as the president of the panel. .