The Chief Justice has still to decide if disciplinary action will be taken against Magistrate Edward King, following his extraordinary courtroom row with Crown counsel Larry Mussenden.

Mr. King has denied allegations made by legal sources that he ordered Mr.

Mussenden to be taken to Hamilton Police Station in handcuffs. But he has admitted to calling him a coward.

Mr. Mussenden spent 20 minutes at the Police station and was said to be considering suing Mr. King for wrongful arrest.

Crown counsels were furious at Mr. King's behaviour and told Acting Director of Public Prosecutions William Pearce that they did not want to appear in his court until there is a full examination of the incident involving Mr.

Mussenden.

Mr. King was removed to the Family and Juvenile Court after Mr. Pearce spoke to Senior Magistrate Will Francis about the Crown lawyers' concerns.

Mr. Pearce said last week he would be contacting the Acting Chief Justice Norma Wade-Miller to make an official complaint about Mr. King's behaviour and to demand that disciplinary action be taken.

There were signs yesterday that tempers were cooling in the dispute.

A Government Information Services spokesperson said Mr. Pearce was in "communication'' last week with Mrs. Wade-Miller, but did not use the word "complaint''.

Chief Justice Austin Ward, who has now returned from holiday and who will recommend if disciplinary action is taken against Mr. King, discussed the Mussenden row when he met Governor Thorold Masefield on Monday. The Governor, acting on recommendations from the Chief Justice, can sack a Magistrate.

Deputy Governor Tim Gurney told The Royal Gazette yesterday: "The Governor met the Chief Justice yesterday afternoon when the Chief Justice got back and they discussed the Larry Mussenden case.

"To the best of my knowledge, no complaint has been received as yet,'' Mr.

Gurney said. "The Governor would have to take action based on a recommendation from the Chief Justice, so the action is with the Chief Justice.

"I can't go into the details of the conversation, but suffice to say, the two agreed it was for the Chief Justice to process it.'' The GIS spokesman said: "The Acting Director of Public Prosecutions did have some communication with the Acting Chief Justice last week about that incident, but there has been no resolution yet as a result of that communication.''