CONTEMPT OF COURT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 126, 27 April 1940, Page 11

CONTEMPT OF COURT

ORDER TO PAY COSTS. JUDGE’S OBSERVATION. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, April 26. Donald McCarthy, printer and publisher of tlie People’s Voice, a weekly newspaper, appeared before Mr Justice Ostler in the Supreme Court, to-day, on a motion for committal for contempt of Court in that lie caused to lie published on March 29 and subsequent dates in two issues of the People’s Voice comment concerning the prosecutions against five men, which prosecutions were not tried until April 12, which comment was a contempt of the Magistrate’s Court inasmuch as at the time of publication it was calculated

to prejudice, obstruct, and interfere with the due administration of Justice. Mr V. TC Meredith and Mr N. I. Smith appeared for the Crown and Mr J. Hogben for defendant. Mr Hogben said defendant admitted the offence and offered a sincere apology. The passages in the first issue of tlie paper were intended to be a campaign for funds. After hearing counsel, His Honour said he had no doubt there had been gross contempt calculated to influence the course of justice. Mr Hogben had said the offence bad occurred through the ignorance of the iaw and defendant had given an apology. .There was in proof to the contrary, and lie did not think it a case for imprisonment or, indeed, for an exemplary fine. Justice would be done by issuing a warning to defendant that any further offence of a like kind would bring heavy punishment from ilie Court and ordering him to pay costs, ten guineas.