REINSTATEMENT REFUSED.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 June 1917, Page 8

REINSTATEMENT REFUSED.

THE' STATUS OP R. D. MEAGHER. ". Sydney, Mav 30, The application of Mr. Richard Dennis Meagher to be readmitted to the roll of solicitor.?, and the renewed decision of the Pull Court to refuse the application, hare revived public interest in this extraordinary case. Mr. Meagher is the Dr. Jekyil,and Mr. Hyde of New South Wales. The Mr. Meagher known to the present generation is a prominent public personage—a successful politician, recently the able and respected Speaker of the •Legislative Assembly, the Lord Mayor of Sydney, a valuable worker in movements relating to recruiting and war funds. The other Mr. Meagher, more intimately known to an older generation of men, is a discredited solicitor, Who has been struck off the rolls for misconduct. Mr. Meagher was admitted as a solicitor in 18SS, and his marked ability wry miickly won for him a lucrative practice. Then, he successfully defended a man called Dean, who was charged with ■murder, hut it was afterwards held to bo proved that he had interfered with the "videnec to suit his own purpose. a«d in .Tune. 1896. be was struck from the rolls. Ei?ht years later, he applied for reinstatement, and was told to apply again in lOflfi. Tn IW.fi the Pull Court refused ,to hear him. He anplied again in lflflfl. and was reinstated, and immediately commenced a big ?ind growing practice. But the Law Institute appealed to the High Court, and the High Court reversed the Pull Court decision, and Meagher was removed from the rolls. It was just before this that some verv ugly land scandals came to light, and the ex-soli-citor, who had been doing a great deal of land business, was associated with these in a manner that won hint much ra'iimny. Mr. Mf-agher has been in Parliament for many years, but he recently advocated conscription, was thrown out of the Labor League, along with Mr. Holman and others, and lost bis seat. He has since been appointed to the Legislative Council. Tn 1012 a Bill to restore Mr. Meagher to the roll of solicitors was passed by the Legislative Assembly, but thrown out by the Council. Tn view of the latest decision of the High Court, another Bill is thought probable. It is said that Mr. Meagher's general conduct has weighed more with the Judges than the Dean' incident, which might conceivably have been the indiscretion of a young man, flushed with success. The Judges on Monday pointed Out that it was the intrinsic value rather than the public reputation of a man that counted when he was under consideration for appointment as a solicitor, and they considered that bis association with the land scandals in WOO. thirteen years after be bad been punished over.the Dean case, showed that be suffered from "moral atrophy." He bad submitted numerous affidavits of good conduct during the past eight years, but he did the same in 1909, when lie tried to conceal his connection with the W. N. Willis land scandals. The Judges gave him no hope of ultimate reinstatement. I , •,.