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SUBVERSION CHARGE

Publication of Circulars

WANGANUI, May 22. The trial of Royle Richard Victor Challiner, aged 46, public accountant of Hamilton, on four charges of publishing a subversive statement began this morning at the Supreme Court before Mr Justice Smith and a .IWThe charges against Challiner all relate to the publication of cyclostyled copies of a circular. The charges are brought under the public safety emergency regulations, lu4o. Mr N. R. Bain, Crown Prosecutor, Wanganui, is appearing for the Crown, and Mr J. F. Strong, of Hamilton for the accused, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The Crown stood aside two jurors and the defence challenged three. CHALLINER ACQUITTED. PA. WANGANUI, May 22. After a retirement of forty-two minutes a jury in the Supreme Court at Wanganui to-day returned a veryict of “not guilty” in the case of Royle Richard Victor Challiner, on four charges of publishing a subversive statement. The trial lasted the full day.

Challiner, in evidence, said that he fiad served in the last war, leaving New Zealand when he was nineteen years of age, and was wounded in 1916. In 1926 he joined the Waikato Regiment as a Sergeant and was later commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. In 1930, he said, when compulsory training was in danger of 'being abandoned, he took an active part in the New Zealand Defence League, forming several branches in the Waikato. He was subsequently engaged in training Territorials. On the outbreak of the present war he volunteered for active service overseas, but he was graded two. For a time he gave service in New Zealand training men for overseas. He reached the rank of Captain. He was retired after an accident and a period in hospital. Stanton Eastgate, Senior Master at the High School, Hamilton, said that he was overseas in the last war and was on home service with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the present war. He had known Challiner twenty years. The accused was regarded with high esteem bv people in Hamilton, and was regarded as a man of high integrity. He worked hard and efficiently during intensive training in 1940. His service was the most loyal and efficient that could have been asked of any officer. Summing up, His Honour said to the jury: “The case is one of considerable importance. You are charged with deciding certain issues which bear materially on the administration of the war effort. You are charged with seeing that the accused Is not convicted unless the Crown has proved beyond reasonable doubt the case against accused.” The jury must reject all private opinions and prejudices, or any rumours it mav have heard. In every case there was proof of the publication of the circular to persons named in Court, and this had been traced to the accused. His Honour explained the Regulations. He said that the jury must say whether the statements in the circular were intended to prejudice the discipline or administration of His Majesty’s Forces, to use the wording of the Regulations; or if they were likely to interfere with the national effort by disrupting the morale of His Majesty’s Forces. It was the duty of th jury to say if the circular was capable of that meaning. It was clear that the statements in the circular were, not intended to interfere with the enforcement of the law of the country, as it related to military service or training.

Tlie jury retired at 4.35 p.m., and .returned at 5.7 p.m.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GRA19440523.2.7

Bibliographic details

Grey River Argus, 23 May 1944, Page 2

Word Count
583

SUBVERSION CHARGE Grey River Argus, 23 May 1944, Page 2

SUBVERSION CHARGE Grey River Argus, 23 May 1944, Page 2

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