A SOVIET COURT

Southland Times, Issue 20496, 26 May 1928, Page 8

A SOVIET COURT

THE FIRST IN AUSTRALIA. Sydney, May 8. An extraordinary happening was unfolded when a seaman made public, through the medium of a newspaper, the statement that the first Soviet Court to be held in Australia was constituted at the week-end at the International Seamen’s Club, George street. The object was to try a seaman, who had been a steward of the club, in connection with some money matter. People gasped when they saw newspaper posters describing the occurrence, but if the seaman’s statement is correct, such “Court” actually was held. It was declared that the man who founded the club, and who came to Australia as a seaman on the steamer King David, acted as prosecutor, while about 200 seamen, who happened to be in the club at the time, were called on to act as jurymen. An announcement was made by the chairman that they were instituting the first Soviet Court to be held in Australia.

Th chairman then described the seaman, whose actions were being inquired into, as the prisoner, and in other respects Court customs were observed, but somehow or other the jury got out of hand, and, in the words used by the informant, “threw the case out of Court.”