COURT OF APPEAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 October 1922, Page 5

COURT OF APPEAL.

A SOLICITOR’S CASE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, October 10. The Court of Appeal heard argument thia morning l in the application by the Auckland district Law Society for an order striking off the rolls or suspending from practice Edmond James Stewart, solicitor, of Hamilton. The grounds of the application were that Stewart had in 1914 received a sum of £2OO from Katherine Minogue and had appropriated it to hi® own use, or in the alternative, that he had been guilty of gross negligence in his professional conduct in connection with the matter. The application further alleged that Stewart had not kept his trust account books so as to enable them to be properly audited and that hie notorious drinking habit® were an open disgrace to the profession. Mr. Meek appeared for the New Zealand Law Society and Mr. Blair for Stewart. Mr. Blair said the charge as tq the trust account not being in order could not be substantiated. His account was in order at the present time and his drinking habits had only commenced after coming out of camp, but he had now ceased drinking entirely. As to the charge of appropriating his client’s money it had to be admitted the transaction wa® not a proper one, but there was no intention to rob his client and the money had been repaid. The case was clearly not one for striking off and suspension would be too severe a punishment. Mr. Meek, for the New Zealand Law Society, pointed out the seriousness of the icharges against Stewart, statins that the case was clearly one in winch some punishment must be inflicted. The court reserved its decision.