COURT OF APPEAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 228, 28 September 1935, Page 10

COURT OF APPEAL.

ECHO OF BATCHELOR TRIAL [ Per Press Association. J WELLINGTON, Sept. 27. On 11th February, 193-1, John Black'* Batchelor, of Christchurch, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on a charge of perjury and other charges. In July of the same year application was made to the Supreme Court by prisoner for a case to be stated for the opinion of the Court of Appeal on cer tain questions of law arising out of his trial. That application was not disposed of until August of this year, when Mr. Justice Johnston delivered bis decision declining to reserve such questions for the Court of Appeal on the ground that the application was not made to him within the correct period of time. From that judgment Batchelor to-day appealed to the Court of Appeal, ami after hearing Mr. R. L. Saunders, of Christchurch, on behalf of prisoner, and the Solicitor-General for the Crown, the Court reserved its decision. If the Court, decides that Mr. Justice Johnston was wrong in refusing to state a case upon the ground taken by him, then it will proceed to deal with the whole question on its merits.