ELSIE WALKER CASE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 28 August 1929, Page 5

ELSIE WALKER CASE.

REOPENING OF INQUEST. THE FATHER’S REQUEST. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Aug. 26. Mr C. D. Walker, father of Elsie Walker, has had a letter written to the Attorney-General, the Hon. T. K. Sidey, asking for a reopening of the inquest into Elsie’s death and thei circumstances surrounding the finding of the body in a disused quarry at Papamoa. Mr Walker’s solicitors, Messrs Potts and Hodgson, of Opotiki, say in the letter to Mr 'Sidey that the recent publication of correspondence between Mrs M. Thomason and Mrs Bayly has put an entirely now complexion on the matter, and Air Walker considers that now a lead has (been given, others in Te Puke may come forward. The solicitors believe this correspondence has ibeen in the hands of the police for two months, “and they have no doubt been pursuing the matter,” but the solicitors urge that it is not for the police to decide but the coroner. “We need not enlarge on Air Walker’s feelings,” the solicitors say in conclusion. “The girl’s father thinks there is now an opportunity for the matter to be cleared up once and for all, and he earnestly asks that you give the matter your most careful consideration and order a reopening of the inquest. ’ ’

CANNOT BE REOPENED. (By Telegraph—Special to tho Star.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 27. “Is it proposed to reopen the Elsie Walker inquest? was an urgent question asked .by Mr J. IS. Fletcher (Grey Lynn) to the Minister of Justice in the Mouse to-day. The Minister's reply contained several reasons showing the legal impossibility of taking this course. “There is no power to reopen an inquest in New Zealand,’’ stated the Hon. T. M. Wilford. “It is true that the Supreme Court has power to quash an inquisition and to reopen an inquest, but the right of the Supreme Court to take such proceedings is limited to the question iwhcthcr an inquest has been carried on legally, or if there has been some illegality in the conduct of the inquest, and the Supreme Court is limited to that right.” In England, added tho Minister of Justice, the position was not similar, for a statute of the early eighties and legislation in 1026 provided that the High Court of Justice, on the application of the At-torney-General, had the right to order the reopening of the inquest where it was .considered in the interests of justice that this should be done. “But,” added the Minister, “we have no such law in this country. I can only find one instance of an inquest being reopened in New Zealand. On that occasion they carried on the second hearing, but when the vouchers came in for payment of witnesses and other expenses, it was Tuled that they should not be paid on the ground that the inquest was illegally reopened and they were not paid.”