W. G. Riddell

He was appointed magistrate in Invercargill, New Zealand in January 1905.

[1] He made news in Australia in the case of a high-ranking public servant who had behaved indecently before young schoolgirls in a park.

Rather than impose a jail sentence Riddell had him admitted to a mental health institution for a year, eligible for early release if recognised as no longer likely to offend.

The newspaper questioned whether a laborer would get the same treatment.

Tributes from H. Johnston, president of the Wellington Law Society were published in the national newspapers.