AFFIRMATIONS AX» OATHS*
JUSTTCES' ACTION CONDEMNED -r CHRISTOHXFRCH, October 5. Before he began a lecture at the Choral Hall last evening Mr W. W. Collins, a former member for Christchurch, made reference to a recent incident that occurred at the Magistrate's Court at Patea, a witness who had asfced to .be allowed to make an affirmation having been .committed for contempt pf court for insistingon his right. The following resolutions were carried unanimously by the audience : __" That this meeting indignantly, protests against the gross abuse o! authority on the part of the Patea jnafaces, who committed a witness for contempt because he objected to taking the customary oath," and "That, in competing a witness to take the oath in spite of his objections that he had conscientious objections to so doing, and also in forcing W to swear upon a Book in which he altt not believe, the Patea justices not only i treated the oath itself with contenwt, bnfc I acted contrary to both the spirit and the letter of the Oaths Act of 1890." It was further resolved to forward copies oi these resolutions to th© Minister of Justice.
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Bibliographic details
Otago Witness, Issue 2848, 14 October 1908, Page 14
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191AFFIRMATIONS AX» OATHS* Otago Witness, Issue 2848, 14 October 1908, Page 14
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