MEDICAL CERTIFICATES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1121, 26 October 1883, Page 3

MEDICAL CERTIFICATES.

At the Supreme Court on October 18, the Chief Justice said : -“Before going on with the bueines<,l wi«h|to take public nm ice of a matter which affects the a'bninier ation of justice. It has been my habit hither oto attend to ce-tific itts given by meilical gentlemen without requiring them to attend, an i witliout requiring the sta'ementa in those certificates to be vertified by oath. I shnuU very much regret to lie compelled to abandon tba‘ practice Yesterday, however. iiooii Mr J imes M‘Dowell’s name b-imi ciiied as special ju n r, there was pro duced to me by a per-on in Court, who I understand, had taken it from Mr M'Doweil, a certificate signed, or purporting to be si;ned, by Dr Diver -(I have no doubt that it was Dr Diver’s signature, though 1 hj ive not seen it before)—certify* ing that Mr Jaa. M‘Dowell was unable to attend as a juytnan, being confined to his lio se, I am however, informed by the sheriff that Mr Jas. M‘Dowell was at the time of the sitting of the Court presiding at a meeting within these buildings. This is a matter which these "ent'emm must explain. Either Mr Diver has most impro paly given a certificate, and Mr M‘D iWell h-is improperly us d it, "r Mr M‘Dowell was a 1 >, nntwitli-tanding the certificate as to illiieia, to attend to his i.uties as juror. As I already said, I feel hound to take notice of this matter, and for the future these medical certificates will have to be verified by oath in some w«y ”