HOLDING A JURY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1843, 1 September 1913, Page 6

HOLDING A JURY.

A RATHER PECULIAR POSITION, (By Oorrasoonocil*.) Auckland, August 31. , A somewhat peculiar position arose in c'oimection witn a civil action that waa mentioned at tho Auckland Supronwi Court on Saturday morning. Tho caw ■ had been set down for hearing next Wednesday, and as there lias been 110 jury summoned for next week, counsel engaged iu tife action desired to select lour from the jurymen who havo been in attendance oil criminal cases during tho past week. After conferring witl; Mr Justice Edwards, ■ Mr. Justico Cooper intimated that the course suggested could bo earned out, but it was optional on the part of tho jurymen whether they attended or not. ■ They would bo advised accordingly, and if they ohose to attend tliey could, but counsel would havo to tako the risk, "Wo will give them an extra allowance," remarked one solicitor. "I can't allow a suggestion, lilto that," indignantly retorted his Honour, "and now you have made it, I refuse to invite tho jurymen to servo." Counsel apologetically.remarked that Jks understood such an arrangement wajs not unusual, but his Honour replied that he had never heard of such an instance. Tho jurymen were then called, and told of tho option they possessed. After three had declined to_ servo, .his Honour remarked that it was useless . going through tho list of tho names, and continuing tho farce. Counsel accepted tho inevitable, and intimated that there wag a' possibility of- coining to an arrangement to hear tho case without a jury.