MINISTER CRITICAL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20088, 7 November 1939, Page 2

MINISTER CRITICAL

MAGISTRATE’S REMARKS NO APOLOGY OFFERED In referring to the comment on traffic cases by Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M.. to the effect that “the court hopes that there will be no more of these addresses by Ministers, and things like that,” the Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, said that such comment by a magistrate from a sheltered position, without his being able to defend himself, was to his mind quite a departure from the ordinary principles of British justice.

Because someone committed a breach of the transport regulations, added Mr. Semple, and counsel informed the court that lie was responsible, as he had made an appeal to the workmen on the job, he had to be indicted by a magistrate, without there being any semblance of evidence that his appeal had anything whatever to do with the offences. Amazed at Comment Mr. Semple said he read the report of the hearing and the comment with amazement. “I take the strongest exception to the magistrate’s comment, and counsel’s statement that the cases were caused by what I had done. The statements woidd lead the public to believe that I have encouraged the transport laws to be broken. It is contrary to the truth. “I have done everything humanly possible, since becoming Minister, to prevent accidents on the roads, and everyone knows that. To be accused in open court of being an aider and abetter in breaches of the law is hitting below the belt.”