ALLEGED LIBEL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 104, 23 December 1931, Page 5

ALLEGED LIBEL

(Press. Assn.—

leaflet issued GRAVE ASPERSIONS ON INSPECTOR OF POLICE SEQUEL TO DEMONSTRATION

-By Telegraph — Copyright).

AUCKLAND, Tuesday. Mr,, Ff. K. Hunt, S.M., to-day granted an application by the Crown Prosecutor for leave to prosecute George Budd and Earnest Frederick Thompson for alleged defamatory libel. The Crown Prosecutor said the matter arose out of a demonstration of unemployed in the Parliament grounds on September 16. In the subsequent Court proceedings Inspector- Lander stated he was without batons or handcuffs. Later, at a meeting * in a theatre in Auckland, leaflets were distributed by Thompson bearing Budd's imprint. The pamphlets which were headed "War," asserted that Inspector Lander had perjured himself and referred to him as "perjurer," "liar," and 'attacker of defenceless men, women and children." Counsel for accused opposed the application. He said both men were now serving sentences of three months. If the application were granted they would, after their re-

lease, have to appear at the Supreme Court in February. He also criticised the procedure of applying under the Crimes Act, under which the penalty was one or two years' gaol, instead of under the libel law, with a penalty of £100 or three months' imprisonment. The pamphlet, he added, had only a limited circulation. The Magistrate said that in his opinion it was a proper application.