AN INJUSTICE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9048, 25 March 1908, Page 4

AN INJUSTICE.

There is no legal provision for the payment of witnesses called upon to give evidence at inquests. This' is one of the injustices connected with the Department of Justice, or Crown Law Office. Witnesses in the courts are allowed a small payment for the loss of their time, and jurors receive a sum that would not comply with any labour award issued by the Arbitration Court; but: witnesses at inquests may be compelled to sacrifice half a day's pay or a whole day's pay in attending an inquest, and get nothing in return for their services to the Crown. This non-payment of those called upon to testify at coronial investigations has ofcen been animadverted upon by coroners, but without inducing the authorities to give authority for payment to witnesses. It is marvellous how a generally extravagant Government can be penuriou3ly economics 1 , in some matters. Half-a-crovvn is grudged for a legitimate object while thousands o? pounds are recklessly squandered in less legitimate directions. On Monday la3t two men were compelled to attend an inquest in Wellington at the los 3 of hali-a-dav'g work, but the coroner was unable to allow them a penny expenses. He strongly com - men ted upon the unfairness of such a state of things. Sitting that morning as Magistrate, he said, ha had allowed expenses amounting to £1 17s 6d to witnesses in a civil case at the court, and he thought it should at least be left to fie discretion of the coroner to allow expenses to witnesses at inquests. We think so, £OO.