“DISCOURTESY TO COURT”

Taranaki Daily News, 22 May 1934, Page 5

“DISCOURTESY TO COURT”

LATE ARRIVAL OF JURYMAN.

NEW PLYMOUTH MAN ADMONISHED. “It is a discourtesy to the Court and I am not going to tolerate it,” the Chief Justice, Sir- Michael Myers, said to Robert Deare, retired boot importer, when he fined him £2 for failing to be present at court to answer when his name was called for grand jury service at the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday. Deare failed to respond to the call of the court orderlies when the grand jury was being empanelled and Constable A. Quin gave evidence of the personal ser-

vice on Deare of the summons for jury service. Deare had then said, he was just on 60 years of age (the retiring age for jury service) and that he was going to see the registrar about it. His Honour then imposed a penalty of £5 for non-attendance. About a quarter of an hour later Deare appeared. He explained to His Honour that he was a member of the Taranaki Hospital Board and in charge of the unemployed men engaged in laying out the hospital grounds. He had been engaged setting out the work as was usual on Monday morning and had overlooked the passing of the time. “You know how it is when you are interested in a thing,” he added. His Honour: That is all very well but I am not going to have the Court s summonses disobeyed. Deare said there had been no inten-

tion of disobeying. He had overlooked the time. His Honour: I cannot help that. You had not forgotten it at least. It is a discourtesy to the Court and I will not tolerate it. I will reduce the fine from £5 to £2. That is all I will do. Do not let it happen again.