RECORDS OF EVIDENCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22172, 27 July 1935, Page 17

RECORDS OF EVIDENCE

DOCTORS' DEPOSITIONS SUGGESTED USE OF SHORTHAND [by TELEGRAPH OWN" correspondent] NAPIER, Friday A suggestion that shorthand writers should be employed for taking down medical evidence in Lower Court hearings of indictable charges was made by Dr. G. 11 Water worth, when giving evidence in th 6 Napier Police Court yesterday. The present method of typing depositions sometimes failed to, bring out the true meaning of a witness' evidence, he said, when his depositions were being read to him at the conclusion of his evidence. Dr. Waiterworth asked that a sentence be amended, saying that what he meant to say had not been' made clear. A satisfactory amending deposition involved a dlelay of over five minutes. " If I may say so," said Dr. Waterwortli, " I think the evidence should bo taken down in shorthand. When a man has read his evidence over he feels sometimes that the exact meaning of his words does not come out. I think that shorthand notes should be made of doctors' evidence."

Detective-Sergeant Bickerdike: Of course tyipewriting is the only method adopted by this Court, and we would have to cut out that method. A Court official said afterwards that the only method emploved in New Zealand Courts was the taking of evidence, not in the form of question and answer, but as a connected narrative. From the point of view of time he could not see thatit would save any time by taking evidence in shorthand, because the notes would have to be transcribed and typed before they could be read to a witness and signed by him. In that event the officer said ho thought witnesses would find that their actual time at Court would be longer.