LAWYER ON WITNESSES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1880, 21 September 1918, Page 3

LAWYER ON WITNESSES.

A lawyer’s view on Court witnesses was given by Mr A. T. J. Alpevs when addressing members of the Justices of the Peace Association at Christchurch. He did not believe, lie said, that a number of people who went into the wilness-box lied deliberately. Such persons were usually quickly found out. The great many wen 1 honest, but be was afraid many distorted the truth, possibly from bias, unconscious or otherwise. It was not the deliberate liar justice wanted to guard againsl, but the man who instead of

saying white was black, said it was grey. There were too many witnesses who took up the attitude that the side they were giving evidence for should win. If they were giving evidence for the prosecution, they wanted to see the accused convicted: if for the defence, they wanted him acquitted. It was too much like barracking at a football match. Young policemen, seeking promotion, were distinctly biased, but an experienced police officer, such as a sergeant or a detective, was as good a witness as it was possible to get. But an expert witness was (he most biased of (be lot. A handwriting expert knew be was expected to find similarities in the handwriting of the accused and the forged document. That was the type of mind he started with. In this connection Air Alpers mentioned a ease which lie said had never reached the Court. Three officers of a hank were shown the actual handwriting on a forged note,-and three specimens of handwriting, and without hesitation they all declared (hat the three specimens were written by (he same person who wrote the forged note, hut as a matter of fact those three specimens were written by three different clerks in Ids office.