JURORS AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1513, 19 October 1883, Page 2

JURORS AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATES.

On the case of Dixon v New Ze;aland Accident Insurance Gampany heing immediately after the resumption of r jthe;civUsittinga of the Supseme Courts at; .10 -o'clock ,thia

morning, his Hoaor the Chief Juaticte/ whopresided, spoke&' follows :-B e ; : fore going on with this casl wish to . take public notice of a matter wbioh, affects the administration of-justice, ft: has been my. Habit Lit^ei ; to : Jo* attend to certificates given by medical gentle- : me f them to attend,' ; requiring the. statements in those certificates to'- be' verified by ; oath.- Ishould very, much regret to be compelled to abandon that practice. Yesterday, however, -upon'Mr' James MDowell's; name: being called as a special juror/.there was produced to me by a pet-son in Court, who I understood nad ; taken it from a certificate signed, or purporting to be signed by Dr. Diver-I have no doubt that is. was Dr., ture, though I have'not 'seen that Mr. James MDowell was unable to attend as a juror, being confined to his house. I am, however, informed by the' Sheriff that Mr James M'Dowell was, at the time of the sitting of the. Court, presiding at a meeting of creditors within these buildings. This is a' matter! which these gentlemen must explain tome. Either Dr Diver has most im- ; Rvoperly give » certificate and Mr M'Dowell has improperly used it, or M'Dowell was able, 'notwithstandingthe certificate as to illness, to'attend to : his duties as a juror. As I have already said, 1' feel bound to. .take notice of this matter, and for the future these medical certificates will have to ;be verified by oath in some way, way, though in saying this I do not wish to cast any, imputation on the medical profession, nor on the good faith of the person who is certified to be ill. The business of the Court was the.n.proceeded with.—Evening Post,-