23 AUGUST 1963, Page 13

Sia,—Yotir correspondent asks 'does a man who commits suicide break

his bail, so that his sponsors have to fork out?' There are two questions here. He certainly breaks his bail since he has of his own volition made his surrender to bail impossible. His sponsors will not have to 'fork out' since the for- feiture of the bail, wholly or in part, is a matter of discretion for the presiding judge and one cannot imagine that, unless the surety has been responsible for the suicide, any judge would order any part of the bond to be forfeited.