PROLONGED HEARING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 136, 9 May 1940, Page 3

PROLONGED HEARING.

MASS OF RECORDS. Per Press Association. GISBORNE, May 7. Believed to have been the longest and most costly lawsuit heard in New Zealand, an action which has occupied the attention of Mr Justice Callan in the Supreme Court since the beginning of March was concluded late this afternoon. The case was one in which F. T. Hall and others, beneficiaries in the estate of the late Fred Hall (Mr W. D. Lysnar, with him Mr M. H. Hampson) claimed £520,000 damages from the Guardian Trust and .Executors Coy., Ltd., and Frank AVrey Nolan (Mr A. H. Johnstone, K.C., with him Mr J. G. Nolan), the Bank of New Zealand, Ltd. (Mr D; R. Hoggard, with him Mr A. P. Blair), and the Union Bank of Australia,. Ltd. (Mr H. F. O’Leary, K.C., with him Mr 11. E. Evans). Plaintiffs alleged fraud and conspiracy and wrongful acts on the part of defendants in the administration of the estate df the late Fred Hall, which at” one time had a book value of hundreds of thousands of pounds, but later was said to be insolvent. The hearing occupied 37 sitting days and records of evidence. and files of . correspondence add documents were equivalent to 22 i full-length novels. At the conclusion of I the final addresses the Judge reserved decision.