COURT OF APPEAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3348, 15 May 1918, Page 16

COURT OF APPEAL.

DOCTOR'S CLAIM FOR REGISTRATION. WELLINGTON, May 7. The Appeal Court is hearing the case in re M'Kinnon, an application against a refusal to register plaintiff as a medical practitioner. M'Kinnon, when employed in the Customs Department at Christchurch some three and a-half years ago, was tried in connection with deficiencies and acquitted. jHe then passed his medical examination, served in various capacities, and returned to Christchurch, where he proposed to practise. The law provided that a person is not entitled to be registered if he is not a fit person, or has been convicted of an offence entailing two years or more imprisonment, or is not of good fame or character. The registrar's action is alleged to be based on the latter ground. Sir John Pindlay and Mr Hunter appeared for the appellant, and Mr Salmond (Solicitor-general) for the respondent. Sir John Findlay contended that fame or character referred to general reputation, and discrepancies in the Customs accounts, of which evidence had been given, but which were the subject of an indictment, could not be taken into account Mr Salmond contended that it was not a question of general but of actual reputation.

Judgment was reserved. s-~

May 10. The Court of Appeal gave judgment yesterday in the of the New Zealand Law Society to strike Robert MTvor, solicitor, off the rolls. The court did not consider this was a case for disbarment, and the rule nisi was discharged, with 10 guineas costs to the Law Society. Mr Mills appeared for M'lvor, and Mr von Haast for the Law Society. In the salvage case in connection with the stranding pf an overseas vessel, the Appeal Court Held that the Chief Justice had not sufficiently taken into consideration

the. danger the ship was in and its value and cargo when awarding only £IOOO. The court increased the amount claimed by the Union Company to £2500, with costs on the highest scale. In the M'Kinnon appeal against the refusal of the Registrar-general to register the applicant as a medical practitioner, the appeal was dismissed, with costs (10 guineas). [M'Kinnon, when employed in the Customs Department at Christchurch, some three years andi a-half ago, was tried in connection with deficiencies, and acquitted. Then he passed a medical examination, served in various capacities, and returned to Christchurch, whore he proposed to practise. The law provides that a person is not entitled to be registered if he is not a fit person, or has been convicted: of an offence entailing two years or more imprisonment, or is not of good fame or character. The Registrar'6 action was alleged to be based on the latter ground.]