GRAND JURIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 December 1917, Page 7

GRAND JURIES.

A PUBLIC SAFEGUARD. REMARKS BY MR JUSTICE EDWARDS. In ?.n address to the Grand Jury at the Supreme Court in Wanganui, some remarks of considerable interest were made by Mr. Justice Edwards. After thanking the members for their services, Mr. Justice Edwards said Lhat the existence of a. Grand Jury means that the case of everyone who came be* fore the Court was first enquired into by an independent body of gentlemen—a body that could not be "got at"—and thus unquestionably the public were protected. It would be unfortunate if Grand Juries were abolished, as then any person could be put on trial for any crime by the certificate of a paid officer of the Crown, whose tenure of office waa at the mercy of the Government: for the time being, although no Government in this country had ever attempted to interfere with the course if justice, as far as he was aware, and sincerely believed. The time might come when it rested with a Grand Jury to say if a person should be put on trial. Sometimes accused persons were committed by Jus-

tices of the Peace, or even Magistrates, on evidence that would not support th« charge. Proceeding, his Honor said there was a case in Auckland, some years ago. when a medical practitioner, the medi-' 'cal superintendent of the Public Hospital, was committed for trial by an elderly, experienced Magistrate. It was alleged that a patient's death was due to an operation which was unnecessary. Sis Honor said that on examining tho depositions he found that not one of the witnesses would venture to say that tho life of the patient, had been shortened by five minutes, or eVen one minute, as the result of the operation, and, acting on his Honor's direction, the Grand Jury returned no bill, and the doctor was spared great anxiety and suspense.