In Gaol for Libel.

Manawatu Herald, 22 November 1892, Page 2

In Gaol for Libel.

Under this heading Mr E. A. Haggen, editor of the Woodville Examiner, relates the result of his trial. He says :—I considered after the most careful inquiry that there! was a matter requiring the strictest; investigation in the interests of jus" tice, and I therefore refused the offers that were made to accept an apology or give up the names of my informants, and settle the matter. This was the first experience I had had of the working of the Law of Libel. It was the first libel action which I had had to defend in a journalistic experience of fourteen years. On a former occasion I fought with success the battle of a free press in its right to republish parliamentary papers ; and I 'am still confident that this last battle could have been fought successfully had those who were entrusted with the management of the case known thoroughly the phases of the libel law and its working. This case served to show that not one lawyer in fifty, or perhaps in a hundred, thoroughly understands the libel law. To the credit and value of the legal advice of Mr Burnett, of Woodville, be it said that he was the only counsel of all those consulted who gave sound advice on the matter in question, as the case turned out. His advice was borne out by the remarks of the Judge, and had it been followed and acted up to the result would have been very different. But^his advice was over-ruled by that of leading counsel in Wellington, who, with several other prominent counsel, supported the view of the case espoused by the counsel who acted for me, and on whose advice I concurred in that view. It proved in the hands of Chief Justice Prendergast an entirely mistaken view, and in his opinion was evidently a misunderstanding of the law which " no fellah can understand."