THE EVIDENCE AMENDMENT ACT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1484, 19 October 1885, Page 2

THE EVIDENCE AMENDMENT ACT.

As an, Instance of ..hasty legislation,; "The Evidence Amendment Act, 1885 ' X may be cited. Section 7of the Act pro"vides that.: All confessions made to a minister of any religion or. priest of any denomination whatsoever,.^ his prq.fo.s- , sional m the' cbuVse; of discip-/ line enjoined by 'the 'law' or practice of such denomination, or under sanction thereof .' All communications made to a physician or surgeon m his professional character by any. of : his patients, '; and the: word ", communication V herein shall include all information; acquired neces-. sary to enable such physician to prescribe or such surgeon to do^ any act forsucp patient : proyid,ed thajj noithirig ,m thisj section shall protect; any communication made for a criminal-purpose, or to prejudice the' right, to give m evidence, or use any statements or representations , already ujtfde .o* which hereafter, may be < ma<Je by any such, physician or surgeon m or abou ( t,th« effecting by any person of ajn insurance on the fife, of himsplf or the Jife of any other person. A southern exchange considers the Act a truly radical (amending one m several of its provisions, and m this clause 7it may be well argued should have been embraced others besides ministers and medical men. The events m Wellington of late clearly demonstrate that editors of newspapers should also be, .embodied m its protecting provisions. The idea of forcings a gentleman engaged on the stafE of a newspaper to reveal secrets wbich he hasjobf ained m liis, prof essionalcharacter "is^ oi^trageous. And .though m the case m point the. Magistrate and judge rated against the r ' witness, their' '^ood sense was shown by not pressing him to state .that which |\e had obtained m his professional position. ,-'!!; :;