Supreme Court OPENING ADJOURNED IN BRIEF CEREMONY
A ceremony, brief but thought to be unique in the Canterbury district, took place in the Christchurch Supreme Court yesterday morning when the opening of the session was adjourned.
The door of the public entrance was opened wide and at 10.30 a.m. the Registrar (Mr G. E. Pollock), accompanied by the DeputyRegistrar (Mr W. F. Hames), went to his seat on the dais in front of the Judge’s Bench. The Court crier (Mr E. J. Keay) announced to two newspaper reporters that: “This Honourable Court stands adjourned to May 14 at 10.30 a.m.” —a pause, then “Silence” as the Registrar left the Courtroom. The adjournment was necessary because the resident Judge, Mr Justice Adams, has to preside at the hearing of a mining case at Westport. It is unlikely that his Honour will be able to preside in Christchurch when the session does open on May 14. His place will be taken by a North Island Judge, probably Mr Justice McCarthy. Some flaws in legal processes were revealed by the adjournment. So unusual was the procedure that barristers appearing for accused persons awaiting trial were unaware that their clients
should have been at Court yesterday morning with their sureties to have their bail renewed. They had been remanded to appear on April 30. Police officers had a busy time getting in touch with lawyers or finding those accused who were on bail and had not come to Court. Late yesterday afternoon two accused had still not been found. One constable was fortunate. He was leaving the Court to cycle to a suburb when the person he wanted cycled into Armagh street and stopped near the Magistrate’s Court. All witnesses in criminal cases are notified to attend Court at 10.30 a.m. on the opening day of the session. It was late in the day before it was realised that all witnesses had not been warned of the adjournment. It was simple to rectify that oversight where witnesses lived in or near Christchurch, but two from Otago had arrived by last evening. Their expenses will have to be paid. Special notices were sent from the Supreme Court office in time to let those called for jury service know that they would not be required until May 14. Some puzzled residents inquired what these notices meant for they had not been served with a summons to serve on the jury.
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Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28265, 1 May 1957, Page 19
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404Supreme Court OPENING ADJOURNED IN BRIEF CEREMONY Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28265, 1 May 1957, Page 19
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