WIFE-BEATING ILLEGAL

Chronicle (Levin), 22 September 1949, Page 9

WIFE-BEATING ILLEGAL

Press Association)

i House Discusses Remarks Of Magistrate

(Per

WELLINGTON, Sept. 21. A magistrate 's reeent comments on wit'e-beating, found an ending in the House of Representatives today. Mr Mason,.answering Mr Sutherland, said his attention had been drawn to the report of the remarks of a magistrate at Kaitaia on the subjeet. Mr Mason said: "It has been stated by the hiehest authority that it has never been

the law in England — and it eertainly has never been the law in tKis conntry — that a man may beat his wife. I feel sure our Courts would fully uphold that view. No amendment to the law is con- ' sidered necessary. Mrs G. H. Ross (Hamilton) remarking on Mr Mason's reply to Mr Sutherland, said that the answer of the- Minister was satisfactory so far as the • law in Britain and in this country went" but faeetious as the remarks of the Magistrate might have been, further cases of wife beating ^iad occurred. She thought that the women- of the country had an apology due to them by the Magistrate. Mr Fraser, supporting the member for Hamilton, said that the Magistrate '.s remarks were a shoek to everyone. Those remarks might be under' Jstandable if there were any foundation in law for them. The old sayings thal punishment was dealt out ' ' more in love thon in anger" and "it hurts mcmore than it does you," no longer ob tained. Remarks from the Bench were taken more seriously and it seemed to him that things went strangely astray. There had been further wife beating cases and altogether the Magistrate 's statement was most regrettable. Mr Gorbett. The Magistrate in New Plymouth thought differently and acted so last week. Mr Sullivan: We ought to give the wife the privilege of beating her husband. Mr Fraser said that wife beating might have been founded on the old proverb — ' ' something about a woman and a dog and a walnut tree, the more you beat them the better they'll be," — but that was not the law and was not sense. The feeling among the people g, which had been created by the Magistrate 's remarks, was, what was wrong1 with the law?