DUNEDIN STUDENTS' CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18662, 19 March 1924, Page 10

DUNEDIN STUDENTS' CASE.

AN EXAMINATION PAPER. APPEAL AGAINST VERDICT. [BY TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. At the Appeal Court to-day a,n appeal on the ground of law was made in the cases of Herbert Hall. Webb and Gordon Stuart McClaugh, who were found guilty of forgery in connection with an examination for a teacher's certificate. Idj. J. B. Callan appeared for the accused, and Mr. A. „Fair fat the Crown. This is the Dun edin case in which Webb had entered to sit for the teachers' D certificate, one of his subjects being practical hygiene. Webb arranged with McLaughlzm to sit in his place, and McLaughlan did so. ;oing through the section of the exam mat and signing Webb's name on the papers and another slip. The jury found that the arrangement was made, and that the papers and slip were false documents. The apEeal was on. the ground that Mi-. Justice im was wrong in directing the jury that the papers and slip were false documents.

Mr. Callan submitted that the papers could not bo held to be forget les, they being signed with Webb's consent. He submitted that, although it was reprehensible to act as Webb and McLaughlan had done, there was nothing in New Zealand law that made their actions criminal. Counsel suggested iihat the criminal law should not be strained to cover a case like this, which it really did not cover, aijd that it was necessary that there should be some statutory provision for punishing this sort of offence. ' Decision was reserved.