THE NEW CRIMES STATUTE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1043, 4 February 1911, Page 4

THE NEW CRIMES STATUTE.

JUDGE-WILLIAMS'S FIRST CASE. (Br Telegraph—Press Association.) ■ Dunedin, February 3. To-day, Mr. Justice Williams, for tho first time, dealt with a prisoner under tho reformative detention provisions of tho Crimes Amendment Act, which came into operation on January 1. Subsection B of Clause 3 provides that, in given circumstances, tho judge may, without imposing any prior term of imprisonment upon the- person accused, sentence him to bo forthwith committed to prison, to be there detained for reformatio purposes for any period not exceeding ten . years. The I 'Act creates a prisons board, and one of tho duties of the board is to inquire into the circumstances of tho caso from time to time where there is reasonable causo for belief that the prisoner so detained is sufficiently reformed to be released.

, It was ill compliance with this law that Charles Kennedy who, in a. drunken bout, broke into Wright, Stephenson and Co.'s store, was committed to prison. From statements made in Court, it appeared that Kennedy, who is 32 years of ago, owed his troubles to drink.

Mr. Cumming, agent for tho Patients' and Prisoners' Aid Society, stated that lie hoped to put accused, in tho way of reformation if the Court showed leniency. 'v.' . '

His Honour: I am not satisfied that a-man whose habits are those which it appears accused has contracted should bo ■ discharged immediately. When the man has got' into tlio way ; of drinking it is practically impossible to stop him ',iinlcss r i'h(S is'-puf somewhere where he cannot get'drunk. It seems to me that this is just the class of case that the new Act contemplates. By the third section of. that Act the' Court may, without imposing any term of sentence, order a person to bo detained for reformative purposes for 'any period not exceeding ten years. He. thus comes before the Prisons Board, and if, to the board, it appears that he is reformed, J}e can be discharged before th.e expiry of his term. I think that it is better for the prisoner alia- the public that ho should be detained under an order of tliat kind. . ' His Honour then made an order.