JUSTICE FOR ALL

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21040, 16 February 1940, Page 4

JUSTICE FOR ALL

BRITISH EQUALITY WORTH FIGHTING FOR COMMENT ON CHINESE CLAIM (By Telegraph.—Frees Association) WELLINGTON, Thursday “This case affords a striking illustration of the rights enjoyed by every person, however lowly, who has the privilege of living under the shelter of our flag and the security ol our law’s,” said Mr Justice Ostler in an accident claim brought by a Chinese market gardener. "Here is v humble Chinaman, probably bom ii some noisome slum in Canton, wh probably belongs to the coolie cla It may be he was born in Hongkong in which case he would be a British subject. “It does not matter what he is. Merely by living in this country he has the same rights and security as the Prime Minister himself. If he thinks those rights are infringed he has the same rights as a Cabinet Minister to invoke the law and have his complaint tried with even-handed justice by the Courts, just as a New Zealand citizen can. “Here we are now solemnly engaged trying such a claim,” continued His Honour, “and in trying i( he is entitled to just as much consideration as any New Zealand citizen would be, no more and no lesAnd what is more remarkable, although a member of a foreign and alien race, a race heretofore somewhat despised by Western races as being deficient in military virtue, although w’e have had cause to revise that opinion recently, he can be quite sure of being treated fairly and receiving even-handed justice in a British Court.”

Mr Justice Ostler went on to say that there was no other country in the world where he w’ould receive such protection from the law. Surely such rights were worth fighting for w’hen threatened by a nation which hated our freedom and was fighting so unscrupulously and regardless of human rights to destroy it.