APPEAL COURT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 176, 27 July 1907, Page 7

APPEAL COURT.

THE TE AKAU CASE

A QUESTION OF BIAS

[press association.]

WELLINGTON, July 26. The Appeal Court, on resuming the hearing to-day of the Te Akau block case, intimated that, without expressing any opinion as to the power of the Court to* issue a writ of prohibition in the case of bias of the Judge of the Native Appellate Court, they would like to hear argument on the question whether the plaintiffs' statement of claim disclosed any real bias on the part, of Judge Browne.

Mr Bell, K.C., then addressed the Court to show that, even if the allegations in the statement (which were denied) were true, they would not be such as to show any bias on Judge Browne's part. He also contended that, even if they did disclose bias, the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction to interfere, the proper tribunal being the Native Appellate Court itself. Mr Skerrett, K.C., arid Dr Find-

lay, K.C., on behalf of Judges Browne and Mair, then, followed on the same lines.

Later.' The Appeal Court has reserved judgment in the Te Akau block case.