SEAMAN CLAIMS £l000.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 February 1920, Page 5

SEAMAN CLAIMS £looo.

LAW POINTS INVOLVED. AN UNUSUAL CASE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the Supreme Court, before Mr. Justice Sim and a jury of twelve, the hearing was continued of the case in which James McGregor, a seaman, of Wellington, sued the New Zealand Federated Seamen's Union, through the general secretary, W. T Young, for £IOOO damages on the ground that, through wrongful expulsion from the Union, he had been prevented from following his occupation.

His Honor informed the jury that, apart from the question of damages, all other issues were matters of law. Counsel had agreed to submit the question of damages to the jury, and to leave the law issues to be dealt with later, In other words, the jury would for the time being assume that there had been wrongful dismissal, and upon that assumption assess the damages. Whether there had been wrongful dismissal was a matter of law, and would be decided as such.

His Honor said he did not think the jury would be entitled to award plaintiff (assuming for the time being the law points were decided in his favor) more than the amount of pecuniary loss he had suffered. Plaintiff was not entitled to punitive damages, but to reasonable compensation for the loss he had suffered up to the present, and was likely to suffer before being reinstated. The jury returned a verdict for £l3O damages. The questions of law were adjourned.