JUDGMENT RESERVED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 256, 28 September 1932, Page 12

JUDGMENT RESERVED.

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Sept. 27. The hearing was concluded in the Appeal Court to-day of the appeal of Nelson Ben Bishop, of Waiongona, near Inglewood, against a decision of the Supreme Court delivered in April last. The original action was brought against the New Zealand Law Society by Mr Bishop, who claimed two separate sums of £IOOO and £52 10s under the Law Practitioners (Solicitors Fidelity Fund) Act of 1929. The larger amount was disallowed, but judgment was given for £52 10s. The Law Society cross-appealed against that portion of the judgment affecting the smaller sum.

Counsel for the Law Society contended that, accepting appellant’s argument at its strongest, he had been deprived only of land or of documents of the title of the land, neither of which in the English law was capable of being stolen. Furthermore, Thomson (who has been Mr Bishop’s solicitor) could not be said to have actually stolen the documents because he did with them precisely what he was instructed to do. The Court reserved its decision.