NEWSPAPER REPORTING OF COURT CASES

Chronicle (Levin), 24 May 1946, Page 3

NEWSPAPER REPORTING OF COURT CASES

GISBORNE, May 23.' After a retirement • of' under '20 : jni nij't (>s. u jury rcturned a verdict for defcndant in a Supremo Gourt uclion in vshich ,T ulian Ravlinc Berti'e llansen, ; deacribed as a pruning expert, claimed l £2000 damages from Percy Rutherford ! Muir, publisher of the Gisborne llerald, j for alleged criminal libel. ITaintiH ! conijucted his pwu ease und alleged that the publication of a report of procecd- ' ings ta'ke'n against hiin by the Social ! Seeurify Departinent in 1912, for non'pa^nnenl of levy instalments, consti- ! tuied ti libel. lle also alleged hc was ! the victini of a sel•i(^s of actions which j consiituted* conspiraey to damage his | reputation. Ile adinitled, in evidcnce, ! that he was not in Court wlicn the proiceedings wero takcn and the defenec produced evidcnce that Ihe report comi plained of was a substantially aceurate j record of proceedings. I 1 Mr. Justice Johnston pointed out to jthe jury that plaintiff was under some jdisal'ulHv in prescnting his own case, | but the (I'ourt's assistance could not be | exleuded to supplying gaps in evidcnce j which plaiutill" did not supplv himself. j Assunijng, howcver, that tlie article complained of had been published, the

■ jury niust deci'de whether it was a true land aceurate summarv of proceedings. Btatule law gave protection to newspupers in reportiug judicial proceedings, . providing tliut the reports were subIstantiallv aceurate and thorouglily fair. 1 lt was for tlie jury to decide whether i tlie report in question was fair and | accufate as testiiied by tlie man wlio I made the report and by rcference to the I records of the Court. " If plaintilT is ; broodiug over fancied wrongs or posi sibly ovcr mistakes of departmentul ! ollicers, they are the people from wliom he should scek satisfaction," said tlie Judge, "and not from tliose who faithfully report proceedings. There is no obligutioiJ on tlie jury to see that the I'acts khcl circumstances in tlie distorted view which you niay feel plaintiil adopts. "