WOMAN AS JURORS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17651, 11 December 1920, Page 2 (Supplement)

WOMAN AS JURORS.

DISCONSOLATE USB OS. HEARING "UNSAVOURY CASES." The" advent "of the woman juror was not heralded by martial music and ■ thunder of drum, but one or two little ' incidents stood out in order to celebrate the innovation, writes a London correspondent. Possibly the solemn atmosphere ci .' Swansea Quarter Sessions Court never was :-so rudelv disturbed as it wars when two despondent men entered and implored -that their- wives, who were seated :n state in the jury-bos, might be liberated so that they could go home and cook their dinners. The Court, however, was adamant. It is eenerally admitted that the brute must be led but on the Swansea Court ruling he 11 have to forage for himself. The applicants went away disappointed and hungry. Working and Listening. At Rochester good and true men and women to the number of twelve (six of each), sat- all day ever one case, in which three Japanese sailors were charged with unlawful wounding. So tedious, apparently, did the proceedings become, that one lady produced all the paraphernalia of "the complete knitter," and laboured as she listened. . At Walsall the least desirable of a woman juror's duties cropped up early, the first case being of a most unsavoury nature. The question, " Should women jurors be excused from being empanelled in unpleasant cases?" was raised. James Banks, twenty-one, clerk, of "Essex Street, was indicted for an assault on a girl of four. " Case for a Male Jury." The defending counsel asked the Recorder, under the rules recently promulgated to say that the case was one which should be tried by a male jury. The details were such that it would be not only an extremely unpleasant case for ladies to try, but for men to try in company with ladies. Personally, he felt it would not be nice to have to address ladies upon it, and that ladies would themselves like to be excused from adjudicating. Counsel for the prosecution concurred in the application. The recorder said he regretfully dis- ' sented from the arguments put before him, but he was bound to realise that were he to comply with the suggestion made to him he would be holding that women we>-e disqualified or should be deemed to be dis- » qualified for hearing cases of this particular kind. «Flouting Women Jurors." It "was admitted quite frankly that the * only reason for the application was that it was felt it would be extremely distasteful to women to have to listen to the evidence. . The reply to this was that Parliament had ; decided to give equal rights with men as - regards sitting on juries, and it had not been suggested, as far as he was aware, , in Parliamentary debates that vsomen '.' would bo unwilling to try the unpleasant cases as well as those of a more ordinary -. character.. Therefore, it was n«t for him - to set an example by differing from the - wisdom of Parliament by acceding to an application of that kind. To do to would ; be in'some degree to flout women miors. • He;- accordingly refused - the application. A mixed jury was thereupon sworn. Banks denied tho charge on oath, and stated that he was organist at St. Chad's Mission Church, Birchills, and deputy organist s* St. Peter's Church. The Rev. 0. E. McCreery, vicar of St. . Peter's, who gave evidence of marketer for prisoner, said he was amazed when ho - heard of the-allegations made in ihe case. ..". The. Jury brought in a verdict of gnn"F... Put strongly recommended Banks to mercy. It was stated that Banks voluntarily enlisted, only thirteen, and, the recorder honnd«him over, to torn* up for Judgment; called < trpoiL Vv '"'