EXAMINATION FORGERIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19135, 1 April 1924, Page 6

EXAMINATION FORGERIES.

CONVICTIONS UPHELD BY APPEAL COURT. , (From Odb Owr Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, March 31. The conviction of two students, Herbert Hall Webb and Gordon Stuart M’Lauchlan, for the forgery of certain examination papers was to-day upheld by the Court of Appeal, composed of his Honor the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) and their Honors Mr Justice Sim, Mr Justice Stringer, and Mr Justice Salmond. “What happened in this case,” said the Chief Justice, “was that M’Lauchlan tendered an examination paper with the name of Herbert 11. Wobb written on it. The name was not written by Webb and it was a false document, because the document that M’Lauchlan got pretended to be Webb’s document, while in fact the accused personated Webb and led the examination officers to believe that Webb had received the examination paper and written the answers, whereas in fact M’Lauchlan received the papers and wrote the answers. In mv opinion,” continued the Chief Justice, “it is not necessary to rely on sub-section C. Webb was a party to the fraud and to the presentation of the false documents, and is therefore as guilty as M’La.uohlan, for he abetted him in the commission of the offence or counselled and procured him to do it.” Mr Justice Salmoifd : I agree, and have nothing to add. The opinion of Mr Justice Sim was that the direction given to the mry at the trial was right, and that the conviction should be affirmed. The accused Webb, according to Mr Justice Stringer, having procured M’Lauchlan to commit the forgery, became a party to the offence, and both accused were therefore equally guilty of the crime of forgery.