PROMPTING WITNESSES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 206, 20 August 1908, Page 2

PROMPTING WITNESSES.

JUIXIIS.S S'lltONU COMMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. In the course of evidence at the Supreme Court to-day In a robbery ease, a young policeman, under a severe eross-exaniination by Mr. Lundon, said he had made a note at the time of ■what a female witness told him on tilie date of the robbery, July 23. He prepared a full statement from his notes, nnd showed the statement to the witness at the Supreme Court a w'cck ago. llis Honor, Mr. Justin Edwards, stigmatised the procedure as most improper. Addressing the witness, his Honor said: "Von have no business to do anything of the sort, and you have no business to refresh a witness' memory iu this way. \ou have taken 'brief notes, and added to them, making a f"li report. That is manufacturing evidence. The witness should come here, not according to your notes, ,but according to her memory. 1 hope I shall not find anything of the sort again. If 1 do, I shall have to take some notice of it." Speaking to the Hon. J. A. T'ole, K.C., Crown Solicitor, his Honor added: "These witnesses have no business whatever to he coached hy the police from their notes. They must come here according to their memory. 1 must say it is ■somewhat shocking.''