Hawaii Holomua, Volume II, Number 6, 25 Kepakemapa 1894 — The Law and the Press. [ARTICLE]

The Law and the Press.

Tlie fo!lowing ruling bj* the Court iu CLristcliurch New ZeaI.iiiil was givenjn a recent libel suit. In tbis iustauco tbe court evidently did not acknowledge the supremacy of editorial ctiquetto over its own authority. A question of llie right of a ne\ispaper aditor to refuso, even when asked iu a court of law, to reve.il the name of a writer of a latter in his jonrual. eame before tlic Snj>reine Court to-day, duriug the heuriiig of tbe libel aqtion \Villiams vs. Kiusey. Mr. J. S. Oulhi'io, editor of the l’ress, when asked by c.>unsd for the plaintiff if Kinsey waa the writer of a letter signed “ Viutor'’ whieh has appe«red ia that paper. decliued to answer, on the gr<>und tbat it was tho moral dutv of an editor not tu give a name entgisted to iiim iii confidence. Mr. ,Justice Deiini>ton ruled that Mr. Guthrie was b<>und to reve«l tbe 1 uaiue, that tiie right whieh newsj papi r edit<<rs hud to reye«( tho jna i.es of their coyyei,j>ondents waā e.\tra judiisial, ai>d that whea ; asKed lu Court an editor was bound t« give np the uame. Mr. ; Cuthrie stiil deciiued to do so. and usked for time to ooosult his ; soUc iiis llouor s»id that . he did not see th.it tue question was one f*>r Mr G ithrio’s soliciU»r. ' ; r. Guthyio w«s setting up anelhipal the<>ry <>f liisowu ag «iust • th« «u!honty «f the C«urt. However, Mr. Guthrie might h«ve time f>r refiect*«n t aud migiit staud do\vn tdl after tl;e other < ituesses • h.td been exaiuiueJ. Afler ih« luneheou a<lj >urnmeut, Mr. Stv.iuger iufor.ued His Hon r that Mr. F sher, coonsel f«r ihe defe»datit. wonld. iu order U s.*ve Mr. Oulhne frciu having tc vio'.ute a pnnoiple, admit thul ‘KiuM»y had \vr>tten the lettēr His Hon<>r m.ule uo remark. Th< ' Ietter was p<.t iu* and the u.ci : deht closed. —