OBLIGATIONS OF A WITNESS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4207, 16 November 1900, Page 7

OBLIGATIONS OF A WITNESS.

PRESS ASSOCIATION. ' CHRISTCHURCH, November IT. Dr Pairman, who had been subpoenaed to give evidence at the Supreme Court yesterday, but was net present, attended this morning to show cause why he should not forfeit the penalty ((MOO) mentioned in the subpoena. When questioned by his Honor, Dr Pairman said he did not attend because ho thought he was not bound to do so if tho defence, or those on whose behalf ho bad been called, did not tender him his expenses. His Honor asked'why lie had thought so. Dr Pairman replied that ho had always been under that impression, and referred his Honor to a passage in Taylor’s Medical Jurisprudence! Mr Stringer, Crown Prosecutor,

suit! that the passage did _ seem to afford Dr Pairmau some justification. His Honor said ho would accept Dv Pairman’s excuse, but explained to him that tho law relating _to civil and criminal eases was unite different. In criminal eases ib had been held from very e arly timers that if a person was called to give evidence u was a duty he owed I o '{ho State to come forward to assist in !hc investigation. It was no excuse that a witness’s expenses had not been tendered. The only excuse that was accepted in a ease of absence was that v.! 1 less bad been without means to convey himself to the place of trial.