Page 7 Advertisements Column 2

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14511, 27 October 1910, Page 7

Attention was drawn in the Dunedm Police Court last week (says the Otago Daily Times) to a peculiar legal position arising from a recent pronouncement by Mr. Justice Williams on the subject of bail. Mr. Bartholomew, S.M., stated that His Honor had directed that no bail was to be allowed by magistrates unless there was a certainty that the accused person, having pleaded guilty, would be admitted to probation by the higher court. In the case before His Worship, the accused desired to plead guilty, and to save the expense and trouble of a jury, but if he had done so the learned judge's pronouncement left the magistrate no option but to send him to gaol till the next local criminal sittings of the Supreme Court at the end of next month. Mr. Hanlon accordingly, on accused's behalf, entered a plea of not guilty, so that His Honor might be free to grant bail. •He i pointed out that his dictum was likely to defeat the provisions of the Act by inducing accused persons not to plead guilty in -the lower court. Mr. Bartholomew said he quite appreciated that point, but he had simply to carry out the terms of' 'His Honor's statement, which were very emphatiCs,