Chief Justice Austin Ward dismissed the jury on Tuesday in the trial of Michael Brian Pitcher, 32, and Michael Dean Eberly, 35, for the death of 69-year-old Beatrice Simons.

The men, both of Victoria Row, Ireland Island, deny murder, but admit burglary of their neighbour's home on December 2, 1997.

Pitcher is represented by lawyer Saul Froomkin and Eberly by Mark Pettingill, while Crown counsel Peter Eccles prosecutes.

VOTER REGISTRATION VOT Voter registration With the passing of the Parliamentary Registration Act and that legislation's subsequent signing by Governor Thorold Masefield, annual voter registration has been abolished.

Parliamentary Registrar Marlene Christopher said this had put a system of continuous voter registration in effect as of May 14 and made the Parliamentary Register used for last year's General Election permanent.

"Voters whose names appeared on that register will automatically be included on the permanent Parliamentary Register,'' Ms Christopher said.

"However, they are advised that if there has been a change in their name, address or other registered particulars since last year, they should notify the Parliamentary Registrar of the change.'' Ms Christopher noted that voters who were qualified to register, but did not have their names on the permanent register yet, should sign on by May 31 as the register will be published on June 15.

Registration after this date will mean that the names will not appear until the next publication of the register on June 15 of next year.

"Under the new system of continuous voter registration, voters can register as soon as they qualify and are required to notify the Parliamentary Registrar of any change in their registered particulars within 28 days of the occurrence of the change,'' she said.

Registration forms are available from the Parliamentary Registration office in the Government Administration Building on Parliament Street in Hamilton.

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