BACKSTAIRS JUSTICE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 151, 2 December 1914, Page 4

BACKSTAIRS JUSTICE.

A MINISTER OBTAINS DAMAGES FOR LIBEL, "MOST REPREHENSIBLE PRACTICE." Received 1, 8.25 p.m. t „ ... , S y< lne y. December 1. In the libel action brought by Hon. Hall against the Worker, the W awarded Mr Hall £SOO damages A stay of proceedings was granted." According to the statement of the case bv the plaintiff's counsel Le Strange thi man against whom Mr Hall had decline! to file a bill as organiser of the Aug. tralian Workers' Union, allegedly sav» certain advice to workers in connection with ithe rural workers' strike, for which the Onion called him to account. The outcome of this was that Le Strang# made a statutory declaration, and on toe strength of this declaration was committed for trial. When it came te a question of filing a bill against Le btiange, Mr Hall, being acquainted with mm, left the matter entirely in the hands of Judge Bevan, who advised that it was useless to file a bill and Mr Hall acted on this advice. Prior to giviiur advice, Judge Bevan obtained throueh the police the declarations of a number of men supporting Le Strange'a ease. Ihe Worker, in an article referring to Judge Bevan a action in obtaining this CV i rii 8 " 0 ? ® trial had been held,, asked, How ia it that Le Strange has been able to ascend the backstairs of tJic Department of Justice, place his verSion before the Attorney-General, and induce hnn to withhold action?" The Judge, summing up, said hi* thought Mr Hall had made a mistake in not determining Le Strange'a case him- ?. . deferring to Judge Bevan's action m obtaining evidence outside the-witness-box, he said that if this practice existed it was the most reprehensible he had ever heard of.