The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Tuesday, November 15, 1887. CORONERS’ JURIES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 67, 15 November 1887, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Tuesday, November 15, 1887. CORONERS’ JURIES.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’s, Thy God’s, and truth’s.

A movement in the direction of abolishing Coroners’ Juries is to be made during the present session. A more useless system than the present never was put into force, Not alone is it useless, but it is expensive, and as the all absorbing question of the day is retrenchment in its broadest form the Government should support the proposal. In the first place, in many instances, there is no earthly reason for an inquest to be held. Where is the necessity for an enquiry into the death of a man who has been killed by a tree falling on him, or on a child who met with his or her death by falling down a well ? Again in case of a fire, although on the face of it the mishap is the result of an accident, the formula of an investigation has to be gone through, and a verdict recorded. The whole thing, to our mind, is a farce, at least so far as the majority of cases are concerned. Now and again there may be occasion for a Coroners’ enquiry ( but these are few and far between, If a death, purely accidental, occurs in the country, the colony is put to the cost of something like eight or ten pounds, for the Coroner gets a fee and mileage, and there is the cost of a conveyance and other incidental expenses. But foregoing these facts, and allowing Coroners to retain their little perquisites there can be no solid argument in favour of taking a half dozen of men from their work or business at a moment’s notice to act as jurymen on an inquiry which could be far better conducted by the Coroner alone. This is perhaps the most absurd part of the system. Not alone are a number men put to loss and inconvenience in having to attend an inquest, but in many instances they [have done more to prolong and perplex the proceedingsIn a word jurymen are not required to come to a conclusion which could be arrived at equally as well, or better, by the Coroner. Mr Guinness, who is moving in the matter, will be well backed up by the House.