Suppression Of Names By The Court

Chronicle (Levin), 15 October 1949, Page 2

Suppression Of Names By The Court

(To the Editor) Sir, — The suggestion made by a Lransport officer that in the case of children under school age being injured by a motor vehicle the driver should be held to be guilty until he can prove his innocence, has brought very much before the public the fact that our ' constitution assumes that a person charged with a crime is innocent until proved guilty. That being the case, is not the time ripe for serious consideration of the right of a person who has been charged with an offence to have full protection of his name until such time as he has been proved guilty? An Act of 1920 gives the court the power to prohibit the publication of the names of aceused persons, but :to be.consistent with the presumption of "innocent until proved guilty," should it not be the legal right of any person charged with an offence to have publication of his or her name prohibited until proof of guilt has been established? In cases where a remand is asked for, or where the accused is committed to the Supreme Court for trial, is it in accordance with our traditions, or with justice, that the name of the accused should be pu'blished before the court is ready to hear the case. Yours, etc., E. J. GRAHAM. Otaki, Oct. 10.