DEATH PENALTY FOR MURDER

Chronicle (Levin), 28 March 1946, Page 3

DEATH PENALTY FOR MURDER

-Press Association

JUSTICES' RECOMMENDATION

By Telegraph-

INVERCARGILL, March 27. Remits asking i'or tlie reinstatenxeut of the death peuaity i'or murder were earried at the annual couference oi' tlie Federation of the New Zealand Justieeip Association. " . Opposition to the remits was voiced by liou. B. C. Robins, M.L.C., a 1)1-year-old delegate from Tauranga. "We do not create lii'e and therei'ore we have no right to take lii'e, ' ' Mr. Robins declared. "A man should be punished for his crinie, but he should not i'orfeit his lii'e. He added that he considered a lii'e sentenee was enough. There had been people sentenced to death who had beeD innocent oi' any crinie. It was his opiniou that very few people who committed murder considered the consequences. It had been said that murders were increasing in New Zealand, Mr. Robins continued. iie had doubted that and had obtained official figures i'or the live years before the Act doing away with capital punishment was passed and i'or the five years it had been in operation. Tliese figures had Vshown that, during the first period, 32 people had been charged with murder, 12 found guilty and eight i'ound to be insane. During the five years the Act had been in operation, 23 people had been charged with murder, 11 being i'ound guilty and f'our insane. In .supporting Mr. Robins, Mr. A. W. Jones asked liow many of the delegates would be prepared to act as a hangman. Iie thought that murderers should be made to serve longer terms of imprisonment.

Mr. G. Stratton (Dunedin) expressed the opiniou that a death peuaity for murder would be a deterrent. If' a man were sentenced to imprisonment for life, tlien that sentenee should be for the term of his natural life. J\lr. H. W. .Sliort (AVelliugton) said the Wellington assOL-iation took a serious view of the matter. If a man took life, then he should forfeit his own life. Mr. Robins had not referred to premeditated murders. Mr. Short quoted sueli cases and said these murderers had been sentenced to imprisonment for the term of their natural lives. That meant 21 years, but some had come out in 15 years and were enjoying the fruits of the world. He felt that reinstatement of capital punishment would act as a great deterrent. Remits from Auckland and Wellington respectively which were earried on the voices, were: "This conference views with alarm the number of murders being comm.itted in the country and requests that favourable consideration be given to the reinstatement of the death penalty for murder." "That this conference recommends to the Government that capital punishment for murder be reinstated on the Statute Book; also that birching be administered when ordered by a Judge of the Supreme Court."