ELSIE WALKER CASE

Hokitika Guardian, 21 October 1929, Page 3

ELSIE WALKER CASE

CORONER’S VERDICT. DOES NOT TIE HANDS OF POLICE. WELLINGTON, Oct. 17. “The good people of Auckland seem to- be barking up a wrong tree as regards the Elsie Walker case,” remarks a well-known "Wellington solicitor to-day. “It may be that the law in New Zealand needs altering so as to allow under certain circumstances the reopening of an inquest,.- hut to say that the Course of justice is being hindered by the inability to have the inquest reopened ’is a wide departure from the truth.

“The Coroner’s verdict, whether definite or indefinite, does not conclude a case. The police, if they have sufficient evidence' in their hands, can proceed against any person or persons regardless of the Coroner’s finding, by which they, are in no way bound. In 'the Elsie' Walker case the Coroner’s •verdict was-indefinite, hut that does not mean that no further steps can be taken to sheet home the crime, if crime it was. J .

“If the. police have additional evidence in their hands, as is suggested " find tIR/Is stron S enough to warrant the litijiging of a definite charge against kome person, one may he sure ttliat this will he done without delay.” rf was pointed out that the Coroner hail discretionary power to admit all . kinds of evidence at an inquest much olf which might not, in a criminal court 'be legal evidence. Evidence given ,at an inquest might be very useful to the nolice, hut they might not be legally able to use it all when it came to making a definite charge against some person subsequently.

“To imagine the Elsie Walker case is definitely concluded because the Coroner has returned a verdict which tides hot accuse any. person is erroneous.” he added, “as is also the idea of blaming the Minister of Justice for delaying the coures of jutice by refusing to he hurried in amending the, law as regards the reopening of inquests. In.no way are the hands of the police tied in- New Zealand. Inquests can be reopened apparently only if there has been some illegality in, their, conduct. In England the law is somewhat different, and inquests can 'be reopened for other reasons This is exemplified in the famous Bravo poisoning case in 1876. Charles Bravo was " a solicitor who died of antimony poisoning, and the jury at the inquest returned a verdict of suicide The relatives, however, were not satis-

fied, and finally-obtained an order for the exhumation of the body. A fresh inquest was held, one which lasted three weeks, and at the end the second jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against some person or persons unknown.”

PUBLIC MEETING AT ~ AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, Oct 17. The Auckland Justices of the Peace Association has decided to support the Society for the Protection of Women which has arranged a public, meeting at the Town Hall next week in connection with the death of Elsie Walker. The association has-passed a resolution urging that in view of the strong public feeling in Auckland further inquiry should be made, and that the Government should pass the necessary legisla tion to enable the reopening Of the inquiry.