COURT REPORTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 381, 17 November 1932, Page 5

COURT REPORTS

("Post" Speeial Commissioner).

A DRASTIC JBIL.L STRIGT REGULATION IS PROPOSED UNDER NEW MEASURE BIVORCE AND OTHER CASES

Wellington, Wednesday. " Drastic provision censoring the publieation of evidence in dlvorce, separation and other court cases, are contained in the Judiciial Proceedings (Regulation of Reports) Bill, which was introduced Into the House of Representatives to-day. The measure was read a seeond time pro forma, and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. After prohihiting publieation in re■lation to any -judicial proceedings of any indec'ent matter or indecent medical, surgical, or physiologieal details, the appearanee of which would he calculated. to injure publie morals, the bill bans in connection with divorce, separation, restitution of conjugai rights, or affiliation, maintenance and guardianship applications, the publieation of any particulars other than the following: The names, addresses and oeeupations of the parties and witnesses, the names and description of counsel, a concise statement of the charges, defences and counter-charges in support of which evidence has been given, submission on any point of law arising in the course of the proceedings and the decision of the court on it, the summing-up of the judge, the finding of the jury, the judgment of the court and judicial or magisterial observations in the delivery of judgment. Use of Photographs The bill prohibits also the publieation without consent, of a photograph, drawing, caricatui'e or other representation of any person who is a party to or a witness in the judicial proceedings. In prosecutions for breaches, the burden of proving that the portrait was authorised will rest with the de- ■ f endant. Heavy penalties are prescribed for offenees against the provisions of the legislation. For each offence, punishm'ent will be a term of imprisonment up to two months or alternatively a fine of up to £250 or to both. There ■ Is provision that no person other th'an the proprietor, manager, editor, subeditor, master-printer, or publisher shall be liable for conviction, and no prosecution is to be commenced except by leave of the Attorney-General. Documents Exempted Certain documents are exempt. The bill is not to apply to the printing of pleadmgs, transeripts of evidence, or other documents conneeted with the judicial proceedings, to the publieation of notices or reports issued at the court's direction, to law reports or to technical publications for cireulation among the legal or medical profession. The operation of the Indecent Publications Act ds not affected but no person will be convicted in respect of the same offence under both acts. Nothing in the bill is to limit the provisions of any other enactment relative to prohibition oi' the regulation for the publieation of reports of judicial proceedings. The bill is described as a measure to regulate the publieation of reports of judicial proceedings in such a manner as to prevent injury to public morals. A similar measure was introduced by Mr. P. Fraser (Labour, Wellington Oehtral) last year.