DOMESTIC COURTS

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 123, 21 November 1932, Page 13

DOMESTIC COURTS

MORE PRIVACY URGED

A plea for greater privacy in Domestic Courts is advanced in.the annual report of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children. "Although this society," states the report, "fully realises and appreciates the willingness of magistrates to clear the Courts when cases that are known to be of. an indecent nature, or that will call for evidence that is not deemed suitable for the loiterers at the back of the Court to hear, it still urges that affiliation, maintenance,; and separation cases should be heard in a Court from which the general public is excluded; only the parties concerned, the necessary Court officials, recognised social workers, and the Press to be admitted. This society wishes, to stress the fact that tho clearing of the Court for special cases is not sufficient, because it is not cleared before the case is called, and those who are reluctantly leaving are able to identify the parties concerned. Frequently the g^rls and young women whose misfortune it is ( to be parties in the case are spoken- to in the streets by undesirable men and women who are not ashamed to mention the fact that they saw the girl, or woman, in the Court. When, a girl is friendless tho false pretences of these so-called 'friends' is more than likely to lead to further trouble. If tho public aro not admitted this evil will bo done away with to a very large extent. "Other places, such as Sydney, have found a similar reform most satisfactory, and the New Zealand Law Society heartily supports tho Protection Society's request.

"Almost all the women's societies of New Zealand are anxious to see this reform. The National Council .of Women, with which are affiliated most of the women's societies of the Dominion, is unanimously., in favour of this protection being given to those who are in the particularly distressing position of having to bring' their domestic affairs into Court. ;

"This society feels that no decent man or woman who has really made himself or herself acquainted with,the evils of the present system could possibly withhold either sympathy or support of this step toward decency and kindliness.

"This society wishes to emphasise the fact that it is strongly in favour of the admission of the Press; that.it in no sense desires anything in the way of 'star chamber' methods."