JUDGE'S APOLOGY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22878, 5 November 1937, Page 8

JUDGE'S APOLOGY

REMARKS. IN COURT OBJECTION BY WITNESSES ' aSYDNEY HEARING SEQUEL ' [from OUR OWJC CORRESPONDENT] SYDNEY. Oct. 28 A protest against a Judge's conducS by witnesses who had given evidence before him led to the intervention of the State Attorney-General and the subsequent, rincommon course of a public apology by the Judge. The president of the Town Planning Association, Mr. Bertram Ford, in announcing to the association that he had complained to the AttorneyGeneral about the way he was treated recently in Court by Judge Sheridan said that Judge Sheridan had grossly insulted the association in a. Court case. "I attended the District Court soma days ago as an expert witness in- a flats case," said Mr. Ford. •"'When I went into the box, Judge- Sheridan said: 'You are a member of the Towa Planning Association. That body carries no weight at all. No one pays any attention to_.it;' ' Statement Issued "The Judge made a continuous s.-ries of rude interjections," added Mr. Ford. "I consider that he abused his privilege. It was a gross insult to a great public body. To a woman witness he said, 'You give me a headache.' This sort of thing is a publio scandal. The" witnesses were so indig, nant that we decided to take the i nat « ter up." A clay or two later the AttorneyGeneral, Mr. Manning, K.C., issued for publication a statement which, he said Judge Sheridan had prepared. In this the Judge referred to Mr; Ford and another witness, .Mr.. C. S. Thane, who had also complained. Ho said: "J recognise it was improper for ma, to have made the remarks of which Mr. Thane complains, and, "as he takes-, it as a reflection on himself, I regret that 1 used those terms, and 1 regretii that Mr. Thane was caused pain iaj consequence. No Wish to Hurt Feelings V "With reference to Mr. Ford's com*, plaint, I wish to state_ that when ha? gave his name, and stated that he was a member of the Town Planning Association of New South Wales, counsel asked, 'What body was that?' and I stated, 'That is a body that no one takes notice of.' This was ail expression of opinion, facetious, certainly, but in making the remark 1 had no desire to hurt the feelings of Mr. Ford or;any member of the association." While Mr.'Thane expressed satisfaction with the Judge's expression of regret. Mr. Ford said in an interviewthat he was not satisfied, and asked the Attorney-General to see that a remark was withdrawn '-'which was a public insult to the Town, Planning Association." Peace was established when the Attorney-General assured Mr. Ford that Judge Sheridan's statement was intended as an unreserved withdrawal of remarks about the association. '