THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.
SYDNEY, December 8.
An action, Griffiths (member for Waratah, and "secretary of the Parliamentary Labour Party) against the\ Newcastle Morning Herald, claiming .£IOOO damages for libel, resulted in a* verdict for the defendant newspaper. It was alleged that the libel was contained in extracts from speeches on Griffiths by. his dpponents during the election campaign, wherein plaintiff was accused of pro-Boerism, disloyalty, sedition, and denounced as a traitor, and the Herald's comments thereon. ~ ■
Justice Pring, in summing up, said the case involved a question affecting not only Australia, but the whole of the British Empire. He deall. severely with Griffiths 'for. his pro-Boer utterances and his Connection with ,the Anti-War League. He said a member of Parliament should be free from the faintest suspicion of. disloyalty to his Sovereign. Commenting on the verdict, the ' Judge declared that he unhesitatingly concurred in the jury's finding." He could v not ' understand how, any man, after making such speeches in public^ could expect any' other verdict.
Application to stay proceedings on the ground that, certain- passages of the libel* did fiat come under the category 'of fair .comment was refused.
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Bibliographic details
Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10819, 9 December 1902, Page 5
Word Count
192THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10819, 9 December 1902, Page 5
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