SECRET TRIAL REFUSED.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17284, 21 December 1927, Page 16 (Supplement)

SECRET TRIAL REFUSED.

Doctor: "You know, Wilks, { cannot make you young again." Wllks: "No, sir; but can't you keep me growing older a little longer?"

LEGITIMACY AND PUBLICITY. An application for a secret trial under the Legitimacy Act passed last year was made in the case of J. D. Greenway v. the Attorney- General and others. It was the first of its kind in the High Courts.

Mr F. R. Evershed, for the applicant, said the Legitimacy Act of 1926 provided that any illegitimate child became legitimate if the parents married subsequently. He contended that legitimacy under the new Act took place without, any order of the court. Counsel also contended that it was never intended such cases should be heard in public.

The Attorney-General (Sir Douglas Hogg, K.C.) said he did not agree that this or any other case should be heard in camera.

Lord Mcrrivalc, giving judgment, said sometimes, unfortunately, public hearing caused considerable pain to those concerned, but the general law of

England long ago declared that the courts of this country should exercise their powers in public unless for some special reason it was ordered otherwise.

In the present suit the court could see no ground for hearing it in camera, and therefore the application failed. The case was then proceeded with, Mr Evershed saying that the petitioner, Mr John D. Greenway, was born in Australia, his parents subsequently marrying at St. Bride's Church, London, on October 7, 1899.

It was also stated that Mr Greenway, if declared legitimate, would inherit money under the will of his grandfather, the late Rev. Charles Greenway.

Lord Merrivale held that the petitioner was legitimate under the new Act, and there would be a declaration to that effect.

Only Llio other day. said Mr Bingley, ho was told by Mr Freke Palmer, the, solicitor, that the Jossos of one linn by theft were between £OOOO and £7OOO a year.

Detective Sergeant "Wilks said the present ease was one. of wholesale looting-, the property involved being worth about £3O. A cheque in Jones's possession bad been found to belong to Miss Gertrude Lawrence, the actress, by whom Jones had been employed as parlourmaid for four days. Miss Lawrence had staled that Jones was more or less under the influence of drink, and on the fourth day got so drunk Unit she was discharged.