THE DEATH PENALTY.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16853, 5 June 1920, Page 12

THE DEATH PENALTY.

WHAT THE LAW PEOVTDES. Tlio Crimes Act requires that a ecntcuco of death shall not Lo carried cat until tho pleasure' of the {iovernorGeneral with respect thereto is made known. The sentence must be executed within seven days of the receipt by the Sheriff of notice that the GovernorGeneral will not interfere with, such sentence. It has long been the rale in England to allow a condemned man three weeks between the pronouncement of his sentence and his execution. In New Zealand no delinito period itfixed, but in general, unless there is a delay in reviewing the case, three weok& is tho ordinary period of life allowed to the criminal. As a matter of practice., the depositions at the trial, with a report upon the whole ease by the judge, are forwarded to the Executive Council, which considers them along with any further facts regarding the case that may have come to light in the moantime. in the case of Gunn, the' Auckland murderer, it may be' mentioned, counsel for the dcfenco stated in hi:address to the jury that if the accused wero found guilty there was no reason to suppose that tho death penalty would not be carried out. "A verdict of guilty means death," was his summing uj> of tho position. It is nine years since a criminal has been executed in the Auckland prison. The condemned man then was a, young Maori named Tahi Kaha, who paid the supreme penalty on June 21st, 1911, for murdering an old man named John Freeman at Puhipuhi on April sth of that year. Persons jireviously executed ab Auckland numbered eighteen. As is well known, executions must take placc within the walls of a gaol or other enclosed place gazetted for the purpose. Not more than ten adult male spectators are allowed to he present in addition to the officials who are required by law to attend.